WARLA

Joyce’s home, a joyful community of transgender women, welcomes 19-year-old Kitkat, who finds a new family there. This is a haven of safety and solidarity for individuals scarred by the rejection and cruelty of Philippine society. For most of them, freedom inevitably requires a costly gender reassignment surgery so they can finally live in harmony with themselves. To do so, they hatch a plan worthy of a “trans-revenge” thriller!
Inspired by a true story, the director—a storyteller and researcher for Asia’s longest-running drama anthology (Maalaala Mo Kaya)—presents an extraordinarily hybrid film that oscillates between social drama and far-fetched fiction.