Sunshine (Maris Racal) has one dream. She wants to compete in the Olympics as a gymnast. She’s talented, determined, and supported by a dedicated coach (Meryll Soriano). Her family, especially her sister (Jennica Garcia), is also behind her every step of the way.
Everything seems to be falling into place for Sunshine and she is just one step away from entering her next big tournament.
Then she discovers she’s pregnant.
She turns to her partner, Miggy (Elijah Canlas), hoping for support. But instead of helping her, he gaslights her. He dismisses her fears and avoids responsibility. From that moment, Sunshine’s world begins to fall apart.
In the Philippines, abortion is illegal and heavily frowned upon. Society judges women harshly for even considering it and Doctors are more likely to refuse to help you since they are putting their license at risks. The public sees abortion as shameful. That leaves women like Sunshine with few options. One of them are underground abortion pills. They are dangerous and unregulated, but it feels like the only choice she has left.
During this painful journey, Sunshine meets people who challenge her perspective on pregnancy and motherhood. One of them is a mysterious little girl (Annika Co) who appears out of nowhere. She is not real, but she feels real. She represents the unborn child growing inside Sunshine and she speaks frequently to her, sometimes convincing her to not to go through with the abortion. Sunshine also meets a young pregnant child who was sexually abused by her uncle.
All of these encounters build toward one powerful question for Sunshine.
Will she still go through with the abortion? Or will these encounters change her mind?
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One thing to know about Sunshine is that it won the Crystal Bear for Best Film at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival in the Generation 14Plus category. It also took home the Narrative Feature Jury Award and the Audience Award at the Austin Asian American Film Festival.
But more than the awards, Sunshine is a showcase of Maris Racal’s best performance to date.
The character of Sunshine is deeply complex. She experiences a whirlwind of emotions throughout the film and Maris delivers a performance full of nuance, especially during moments when her character is confronted about her pregnancy.
One standout scene is set in a motel. The scene agonizingly captures the emotional and physical pain that women like Sunshine often endure. The way she squirms and shouts in pain is a powerful visual and moment that lingers long after the scene ends.
Maris not only has the emotional depth for this role, but also the right presence to carry it. This was the perfect project for her. She is surrounded by a strong supporting cast including Meryll Soriano, Jennica Garcia, and Elijah Canlas. Each of them brings honesty and subtlety to their roles, which helps ground the story in reality.
Director Antoinette Jadaone deserves just as much praise as Maris here. In a talkback session, she shared that she had spoken to young women with real-life experiences similar to Sunshine’s. She took the time to understand their world. That care and effort translate in the film.
Jadaone’s direction keeps the film from being misunderstood. She approaches a sensitive topic with empathy and clarity. The story is not preachy, nor does it try to provoke those who do not believe in abortion. Instead, it presents the facts with honesty and respect.
Beyond Maris Racal's stellar performance and Antoinette Jadaone's ability to bring to life a controversial topic, what I find most heartening are the chatters and the discussions it instigates right after the credits roll and the lights opened.
I just love that people, especially young women, are using this opportunity to speak up not just about abortion but about choices. Choices that can help them deal with unwanted pregnancy. Their voices have never been this loud and clear as they push for freedom over their own bodies and reject old ideas that only lead to inequality and oppression.
Sunshine is not forever. The hype will eventually die down and people will stop talking about it. But stories like this can change lives. And when men and women inside the cinema started sharing their experiences and what they had learned, I just knew that many lives were changed that day.
4.5/5
