Filipino filmmaker Antoinette Jadaone has won acclaim for telling intense women’s stories and for having the courage to tackle controversial issues that are mostly avoided in her conservative homeland. But it’s fair to say that Jadaone’s latest production, Sunshine, is her boldest – and perhaps most brilliant – yet. 

The film features Maris Racal as the titular character, a young girl and rhythmic gymnast who’s preparing for her national team’s tryouts when she discovers she’s pregnant, and she must decide whether or not to have the child. 

With abortion still a taboo subject in the mostly devout-Catholic Philippines – it’s one of the few countries where the act remains illegal – Sunshine’s decisions are bound to court controversy. But that’s something both the filmmaker and her star seem to be ready to welcome.

The film made its Italian premiere In Competition at this year’s 27th Far East Film Festival in Udine, after winning the Crystal Bear (Generation 14plus) at the 2025 Berlin International Film Festival. The screening left Racal in tears, as it was her first time seeing the completed film.

Speaking to View of the Arts on the sidelines of FEFF, Jadaone said the film – which is yet to screen in her homeland – was created to focus the conversation on abortion, and the young women who face the same decisions as Sunshine, and how those young women – and the society that surrounds them – deal with those decisions.

View of the Arts: What inspired you to tell the story of Sunshine?

Antoinette Jadaone: I wrote it during the pandemic, when the film industry was shut down. I was researching stories to tell and came across this topic, so I began interviewing girls who had gotten pregnant in their teens, both those who continued with the pregnancy and those who chose to terminate it. Some of the girls I spoke to were as young as 15 or 16, and their stories were haunting – really chilling. Even for those who carried their pregnancy to term, retelling their experience was deeply emotional. Some shared their story for the first time; their friends didn’t know, and even their parents were unaware.

So I guess, when I was listening to them, I realised it was a story I needed to tell – especially because topics like this are still considered taboo in the Philippines. In Western countries and European cinema, many films have already tackled this subject. But in the Philippines, it’s rarely addressed. That made me want to talk about it, even though it’s a very scary thing to bring up. I knew I had to be brave, too.

A lot of people were incredibly supportive of this story – women’s groups, and many non-government organizations that advocate for children’s rights. I interviewed them, and they were very generous in sharing their data and documents on the topic

VOA: Did you experience any outside pressure during the production? 

AJ: I think the bigger challenge was securing funding. It’s a common struggle for many independent filmmakers in the Philippines. We reached out to private investors, and one of them – a former athlete – decided to support the film because she believed in the story, being an athlete herself. We also received support from the Film Council of the Philippines. Eventually, we had enough to move forward, but it took more than a year of fundraising before we could finally begin production

VOA: As a female director, how important do you think it is that women themselves tell stories that focus on big issues such as abortion?

AJ: Women understand how other women feel, and there’s an invisible connection when young girls and teenagers share their stories of what they’ve been through. It’s something that only women can truly understand – or at least understand more deeply. Women telling women’s stories is very important to me.

In the Philippines, we’re actually quite fortunate. Unlike in some other countries where the film industry is very male-dominated and it’s difficult for women filmmakers to break through, the situation here is different. We have many women filmmakers, cinematographers, and editors. Many of the thought leaders in our industry are women. So in the Philippines, it’s relatively easier for a woman filmmaker to tell stories about women, because both the industry and the audience are supportive.

VOA: Maris [Racal] is so famous in the Philippines. How did you decide she would be suitable for this role and this topic? 

AJ: I had worked with her on two series before we started the film, and I always knew she had a certain rawness in her character. She wasn’t classically trained in acting, but she had a natural sensitivity. On top of that, she’s a dancer. While she’s not an athlete and hasn’t really played many sports, her background in dance made her physically suited for the role of a gymnast. She has the build – petite, about 5’3″ or 5’4″ – and the grace and flexibility that dancers have. So when she began training with the national gymnastics team, it came naturally to her.

I would also bring her along when I interviewed the girls during my research. She was very generous with her time in preparing for the role. She even joined me on location scouts, wearing a mask and hoodie so people wouldn’t recognize her. She became familiar with Quiapo, which is the real setting of the story – not a set or studio. So even before we began filming, I could tell she had already embraced the character of Sunshine. By the time she arrived on set, she wasn’t just playing Sunshine – she was Sunshine.

During filming, we would discuss each scene, but she also brought her ideas. That showed how she connected with the character. It was a true collaboration between the two of us every step of the way.

VOA: I read that you got inspired by Taika Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit. What can you share about that?

AJ: I love Taika. So when I watched that film, I guess, being a writer, I was already starting to create ideas in my mind. What if a pregnant teen has this imaginary person in their head, and that imaginary thing will embody whatever chaos is in their head?

When I was interviewing these girls, the common denominator was that there was confusion. They didn’t know who to talk to. They didn’t know what the future held. And some of them would have an imaginary person that they’re talking to, like they’re talking to the mirror. They’re talking to someone, not themselves. So that idea, that quirk, stayed with me. That’s how I developed this kid, following her around, and you don’t know if she’s like an alter ego or a real person or someone from her future.

VOA: Which stories do you feel the need to tell in the future? 

AJ: I guess it’s really in me to tell stories that revolve around women. I didn’t decide it. It’s like when people point out that all of my films have women, very strong women with their own agency, the capacity to decide for themselves. That’s how my lead characters are. To me, it comes as something natural because I guess I grew up in a household, in a community where women, men, and  LGBTQIA+ are equal and no one’s fighting for who’s better, who’s stronger. I guess that’s also what Sunshine needed in the place that she lives – women who support her, women who won’t judge her. I hope that kids who are in the same situation as Sunshine, when they watch the film, they’ll be able to find that kind of a support system, like Sunshine. 

Written by Giulia Adami [FEFF CAMPUS]

Featured image courtesy of Far East Film Festival

^{Giulia Adami – Born in Udine, I graduated from the University of Udine, in DAMS (Disciplines of Audiovisual, Media and Performing Arts). I’m currently enrolled in the master’s degree program in Audiovisual Heritage and Media Education at the University of Udine. I took part as a juror at several film festivals in Italy, and I participated in the social media team of the 2024 Far East Film Festival. I recently took part in the FEFF Campus, a Far East Film Festival program for aspiring journalists. I’m currently managing the Instagram page @cinemapapers, of which I’m the founder.} 

^{View of the Arts is proud to support and collaborate with the FEFF Campus – a dynamic training initiative designed for aspiring media and film professionals under 26. Bringing together five participants from Europe and five from Asia, the programme offers hands-on experience in film journalism, festival operations, and industry networking. Through exclusive seminars, interviews, and workshops led by film experts, students gain practical insights into filmmaking, media careers, and the art of cinema.}

_{View of the Arts is an online publication dedicated to films, music, and arts, with a strong focus on the Asian entertainment industry. With rich content already available to our readers, we aim to expand our reach and grow alongside our audience by delving deeper into emerging platforms such as K-pop and Asian music more broadly. At the same time, we remain committed to exploring the vibrant and ever-evolving global landscape of film, music, and the arts, celebrating the immense talent and creativity that define these industries worldwide.}