Bakal Boys

Mundanity can be visually arresting, full of emotional complexity as well as being politically pertinent. This is beautifully captured in Ralston Jover's second film as a director.

Utoy and Bungal are two young boys living in Basesco, a trashy squat colony by the Manila bay. Here the children of poor families have to work hard and in dangerous conditions from a very early age, diving in the polluted waters scavenging for metal scraps. When Bungal goes missing Utoy sets out on a heartbreaking quest to find his lost friend.

"Bakal Boys" is a delicate study of a harsh existence on the edge of civilization. Based on an "I Witness" TV documentary by Henry Burgos and with a cast that includes many real-life Basesco metal divers, the film owes much to the style and ideals of Cinema Verité and the Neo-realist movement. It is therefore not surprising to find that, though the social commentary constitutes the heart of the film, this is also a touching celebration of childhood.
DANIEL EKEROTH

Cast
Gina Pareño, Jess Evardone, Joe Gruta, Simon Ibarra, Cherry Malvar: Producer
Celso De Guzman: Script
Henry Burgos, Ralston Jover: Cinematography
Ruben Dela Cruz: Music
Teresa Barrozo: Spoken language
Filipino, Tagalog: Subtitle
English