The Film Development Council of the Philippines announces ‘Iti Mapupukaw by director Carl Joseph Papa as the Philippines’ official entry at the Oscars 2024 under the ‘Best International Feature Film’ category.
Iti Mapupukaw, or The Missing, goes with Eric (Carlo Aquino), an animator without a mouth, having a blast of his past when chased by an alien after his mother Rosalinda (Dolly De Leon) asks him to check up on his uncle, whom he found dead.
As seen in the official trailer, there is a mixture of animation styles, such as hand-drawn two-dimensional and rotoscope, which Papa intended to be from the start.
It may have happened that he chose these animation styles because of his interest in comic and anime films back in his younger days, he said in a local media outlet.
Its 2D animation resembles children’s drawings that embody innocence and nostalgia, while the rotoscope features harsher lines for a rather realistic-fictional setting and slow-burn action.
With several themes and a rollercoaster of emotions, live action mixed with animation, the film immerses audiences in Eric’s point of view, which Papa saw fit to contrast the light and heavy moments.
He wrote in his Cinemalaya Director’s Notes that Eric’s story, “Iti Mapukpukaw, is different. I am not putting myself in someone else’s shoes; instead, I am wearing my own. Eric’s story is one that’s personal. It is made of dark and repressed memories”.
Aside from the slow-burn gay romance, it is also finding self-love that Papa wanted to highlight: “Love and rebuilding yourself were always there, even when the story was angrier in its early versions.
The story had to be told with sincerity. And with that comes love. Love brings understanding and empathy,” he said in an interview with another local news outlet.
Over the years, several Philippine films have been entered for the Oscars, yet this is the first time a Filipino-Ilocano with an unorthodox animation and plot will make its way to the Oscars.
The Film Development Council of the Philippines has granted the film Php1 million for the campaign, but actress Dolly De Leon says the chance of winning comes more than having a budget.
“Akala kasi ng tao pag-nominate ka na ng Oscar, OK ka na. Hindi. Kailangan mo ng malaking pera for that, para panoorin ng mga tao, and ma-consider ka talaga. The campaign is not about getting you to vote for you. No, it’s not. It’s about getting people to watch the film so that people will vote for you,” De Leon explains.
Papa’s takeaway from the film is also his calling for Filipinos to support Iti Mapupukaw: “Speaking up is never too late. And with this, I hope to encourage others to speak up too.”
Photo Credit:
https://www.facebook.com/CinemalayaOfficial
https://www.facebook.com/CinemalayaOfficial
