Why Antoinette Jadaone’s Sunshine is a film to watch out for
Give way! The ultimate Filipino gymnast, Sunshine Francisco, bearing a torch on her hand, is on the way to shed light to the persisting realities and struggles of women.
Writer and director Antoinette Jadaone, who we probably know for her versatile filmography, ranging from all her iconic kilig films like That Thing Called Tadhana to critical works like Fan Girl, delivers Sunshine—another masterpiece to challenge its viewers in their perspective towards the existing conditions of the society.
Maris Racal plays as Sunshine Francisco, a gymnast and an aspiring olympian who is yet to bear the weight of decision-making amidst conflicting circumstances and pressure after getting pregnant ahead of the national team tryouts. With Racal’s proven excellence and versatility in acting, she definitely gave justice to the character as seen in the trailer unveiled by Project 8 Projects prior to its premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.
Aside from the Jadaone–Racal team-up that assures us of excellence from storyline to delivery, Sunshine brings into the table the issues that society keeps on brushing off in conversations. It’s time to let the olympian’s torch shed light!
Sunshine reveals reality in full vibrance
Sunshine gives the full Filipino experience.
As the trailer gets unveiled, one of the scenes that really caught the attention of the audience was the sequence showing Sunshine Francisco’s effort to hold back her tears inside the jeepney packed with passengers. A lot of them felt represented by this scene, expressing them through tweets, highlighting the full Filipino commuter experience that it gives.
It’s not hard to find it relatable, especially for many commuters, who despite the strong urge to break down after a long exhausting day, still chooses to compose themselves. It showcases how Filipinos have to suppress their emotions and frustration in public places where personal space is nowhere to be found. And Sunshine is here to shed light onto this reality.
It challenges the Filipino conservative roots.
In the trailer, a voice of a woman speaks about how abortion is a violation both to the law of man and God. This presents how the Filipino conservative roots, heavily influenced by the Christian belief, make the struggles of women even more complex. This film took the courage to discuss a reality, which the society keeps avoiding, making it a taboo and an even more complicated concept for many.
This masterpiece from Jadaone challenges the existing misconceptions on abortion and women’s reproductive rights. Also, it champions the idea of women having the full rights to decide for themselves, especially for their bodies. Sunshine clearly leaves a strong statement: my body, my say!
It tells through the lenses of women.
Among all the narratives and storytelling about the experiences and struggles of women, it is through the lenses of women themselves that it becomes stronger and more authentic. Nobody gets to understand the feeling of having to deal with the realities that the misogynist society brings to their everyday lives other than those who live through it. Also, they own these stories and so they hold the right to tell.
Known for fleshing out remarkable women characters in her films, Jadaone’s writing prowess gave birth to Sunshine Francisco. A character who dares to represent a different facet of womanhood has been born. Moreover, written and told through the lenses of women, Sunshine solidly represents their causes, making a significant move on issues involving women in the modern media.
The destiny of Sunshine is yet to unfold in the premiere of this masterpiece. She may be or may not be an olympian, but she is already a champion of Filipino women!
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