STRAW 2025: A Mother’s Silence Was Louder Than a Siren
A haunting look at grief, survival, and a mother’s quiet collapse in a world that never gave her room to fall.

Julieta, 57, is the only female kutsero (driver of a horse-drawn carriage) in Cebu City, Philippines. She struggles between making a living for her remaining children as her husband is already dead and his son is in jail for being allegedly involved in illegal drugs. How can she, at her age, keep up with the difficulties and risks brought about by the pandemic?
A haunting look at grief, survival, and a mother’s quiet collapse in a world that never gave her room to fall.
Diana’s spirit has taken off, ‘No right, no wrong, no rules for me.’ And in that moment, as she runs on the screen, she gets it, her ‘Let It Go’ moment.
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The Lighthouse is patient and hypnotic, pulling us in with its mysterious atmosphere and characters. The film’s slow pace proves to be monumentally effective, showcasing the tedious nature that comes with isolation and poor two-way communication.