©Los Otros Films

It’s 1987 in the Philippines. Eight-year-old Yael, a sensitive, shy girl who spends her days playing alone at home, sees a TV commercial for a magical pen that promises to bring her a wonderful life, and decides she wants one. The subtleties of the Filipino populace following the people power revolution of the previous year are depicted in all their diversity through the feelings of this perceptive young girl. Seno, whose art spans mediums including photography and installation, has created a film that weaves together many elements with boldness and precision. In her hands, even the uncertainty and madness of the era are sublimated into richness.