Sampaguita, National Flower
Sampaguita, National Flower, Philippines, 2010
Suitable for children 8+.
In this documentary for children from the age of 8, their parents, relatives and friends – to make it short, for general audiences – we get to know children living lives that are completely different from the ones known in our society: children selling sampaguita flowers, the national flower of the Philippines, on the streets of Manila.
The film chronicles the lives of children whose lives are entwined with the national flower of the Philippines – the sampaguita. The sampaguita is a small, white, fragrant flower that, if plucked from its source, rapidly undergoes decay. After harvesting, it must be sold within 24 hours. The flowers are harvested in the province of Pampanga, where there is no electricity.
Ronalyn is one of the children, who is about to leave her home in the province to study in the city. When grown up, she wants to become a medical doctor so that she can cure her mother. As a child from the countryside, she still hopes for a brighter future, which is not the case with children in Manila, who think and behave like grown-ups. They live for the moment and have accepted their poverty, believing that they cannot change their reality. Reynalyn is a sampaguita vendor in a church in Quiapo. On the fateful day, she decides to escape her abusive mother. Marlon sells sampaguita in the city. It is the same night and it happens to be his birthday, and he simply wishes to buy a cake so he can share it with his family. But fate gives him a birthday he will never forget.
All the children in the film are actual sampaguita harvesters and vendors.
“Maybe the sampaguita is the best representation of the Philippines. It is not just a symbol but a mirror of our country. We often hear the motherhood statement: the children are the future of the country. By following the journey of the sampaguita flower, we are able to prove and disprove that.” (Francis Xavier Pasion)
Francis Pasion
Francis Pasion was born in Manila, Philippines, and graduated cum laude with a major in Communication at the Ateneo de Manila, where he founded the university's first film organization: the Loyola Film Circle. He is currently teaching Independent Film at the university. Sampaguita, National Flower is his second film. The film won the Special Jury Prize at the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival in the Philippines in 2010.
Discussion with the director Francis Xavier Pasion after each projection.
Schedule:
Suitable for children 8+.
directed by Francis Xavier Pasion
screenplay Francis Xavier Pasion
cinematography Neil Daza
music Paulo Tirol
editing Chuck Gutierrez
featuring Izza Dimalanta, Ronalyn Ramos, Reynalyn Bunag, Tomas Morato, Maya Bernardo, Rinalyn Bernardo, Marlon Abalos, Jordan Isip, Jeffrey Abalos
producers Josabeth Alonso, John Victor Tence
produkcija/production Cinemalaya Foundation Inc., Cultural Center of the Philippines, CCP Complex, Roxas Boulevard PH-Pasay City, Manila
world sales Ignatius Film Productions, T +63 905 315 54 33, E ignatiusfilmscanada@yahoo.ca
format digiBeta
running time 78'
In this documentary for children from the age of 8, their parents, relatives and friends – to make it short, for general audiences – we get to know children living lives that are completely different from the ones known in our society: children selling sampaguita flowers, the national flower of the Philippines, on the streets of Manila.
The film chronicles the lives of children whose lives are entwined with the national flower of the Philippines – the sampaguita. The sampaguita is a small, white, fragrant flower that, if plucked from its source, rapidly undergoes decay. After harvesting, it must be sold within 24 hours. The flowers are harvested in the province of Pampanga, where there is no electricity.
Ronalyn is one of the children, who is about to leave her home in the province to study in the city. When grown up, she wants to become a medical doctor so that she can cure her mother. As a child from the countryside, she still hopes for a brighter future, which is not the case with children in Manila, who think and behave like grown-ups. They live for the moment and have accepted their poverty, believing that they cannot change their reality. Reynalyn is a sampaguita vendor in a church in Quiapo. On the fateful day, she decides to escape her abusive mother. Marlon sells sampaguita in the city. It is the same night and it happens to be his birthday, and he simply wishes to buy a cake so he can share it with his family. But fate gives him a birthday he will never forget.
All the children in the film are actual sampaguita harvesters and vendors.
“Maybe the sampaguita is the best representation of the Philippines. It is not just a symbol but a mirror of our country. We often hear the motherhood statement: the children are the future of the country. By following the journey of the sampaguita flower, we are able to prove and disprove that.” (Francis Xavier Pasion)
Francis Pasion
Francis Pasion was born in Manila, Philippines, and graduated cum laude with a major in Communication at the Ateneo de Manila, where he founded the university's first film organization: the Loyola Film Circle. He is currently teaching Independent Film at the university. Sampaguita, National Flower is his second film. The film won the Special Jury Prize at the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival in the Philippines in 2010.
Discussion with the director Francis Xavier Pasion after each projection.
Schedule:
- Thursday, 9. 6., 10.00, Kulturni dom
- Sunday, 12. 6., 11.00, Kulturni dom
