Shireen Seno explores fantastical, childlike wonder in the midst of the mundaneness of adulthood in her sophomore directing gig, Nervous Translation. Magic realism, a child’s innocence, and the collective reawakening of the Philippines in the 1980s are all beautifully tied together throughout the course of the film.

The film follows Yael (Jana Agoncillo), an eight-year-old girl who, despite her quiet and reserved nature, is shown to be sharp, perceptive, and diligent. She completes her “Mad Minute” multiplication problems with ease, religiously accomplishes her workbook, and takes notes of the little things she notices. Yael learns to make sense of the events and people around her through the everyday objects she interacts with, as she secretly listens to the cassette tapes her overseas Filipino worker father sends to her mother, Val (Angge Santos). Yael then becomes determined to purchase a magical pen that has the ability to translate nervous thoughts into writing.

One of the strengths of the film is that the tiny plot details subtly piece the bigger picture together. Some of these are never directly explained, such as the bandages and rashes on Yael’s arms, or the Tiny Kitchen-esque cutaways, but the mystery allows for viewers to make their own connections behind the different elements present throughout the film.

The production design of the film is impeccable, as several electronic devices, pieces of furniture, and post-Marcos news headlines are reminiscent of the 1980s in the Philippines. The set and props are appropriately paired with a warm color palette that evokes feelings of nostalgia.

Nervous Translation is solid proof that Philippine independent films have ingenious ways of telling stories that the everyday Filipino can appreciate--stories that will make any viewer remember what it was like to see the world through the eyes of a child with ceaseless imagination.

Rating: 4 / 5

Featured photo retrieved from screenanarchy.com