One of the few movies from the 21st century to shine the spotlight on Philippines cinema at the global stage, Aureaus Solito's directorial debut follows the life of a 12 year old gay boy named Maximo Oliveros aka Maxi, whose story of sexual awakening conflicts with the violence that subtly builds up in the slums of Sampaloc, Manila. A major improvement from the caricaturish portrayals of gay people in Lino Brocka's 'Ang Tatay Kong Nanay', Maximo Oliveros' characterization is much more nuanced both in his background and in the internal struggle that tears him apart in the story. You see a kid who's genuinely loved by his family, with a father who dove into the world of theft after his…

Maxi is such a great character, and it was a shame we couldn't see more of his pre-teen joyousness like the Miss World competition with his friends. Instead he ends up being used a little to tell the story of his family vs the police.

To get one thing out of the way, the relationship between Maxi and Victor made me very uncomfortable. Victor obviously thought he was carefully managing Maxi's crush but you don't tell a 12 year old "you're looking very pretty today", it's just unacceptable. Any suggestion that Victor might return Maxi's feelings spoilt what was a nice tale of a boy to a creepy one about men.

But there's more to the relationships, and the film,…

Queerness is defiance. What else could it be? It is a flower floating in the dirty water, a spot of beauty amid the ugliness of urban living. It is the third way in a world insistent on binaries: male and female, cops and robbers. Amid a chaotic existence, Maximo only yearns for peace, only seeks a world where no one has to get hurt.

It's kind of a shame this film didn't come a little later, when better means of shooting were available. But still, the grainy images don't negate the power of the work; a work that resonates nearly two decades later, in a Philippines that has barely survived a deadly drug war, and where queer people are still…

"Oo, marami ngang masamang tao. Pero isa lang 'yung Papa ko."

the opening sequence arguably captures it all: the moving portraits of the city, the slums reflected on murky waters with garbage and a single flower hovering atop. "this is my country," the music sings, "I cannot leave her alone."

the noise of a man plays on an old piano with children pursuant of watching amidst being scared. "the noise keeps you from thinking." prayers, pendants, pageants, performances, persevering people, police turned pal, palpak na patakaran, pagnanasa, paghahangad, pangangarap. a caring kid who refuses to leave amidst being taken for granted, cleaning up the mess of a family that only knows the togetherness of survival. a lone police officer also…