In a slummy area where people can’t finish a sentence without swearing, Rosa is the de facto the head of the household, taking care of her husband Nesto and four children. She runs a small grocery store selling things bought at bigger mart, but it is not easy to earn a living in a backstreet area where credit is common. To make some extra cash, she secretly sells drugs. One day before her husband’s birthday, they are raided by police and arrested. The children left behind have no other option other than selling anything they can to make the “bail” the corrupt police demand. Brillante Mendoza has directed a film nearly every year since his debut in 2005. This film also delivers a story about people struggling for survival in a self-composed but sincere way. A world without hope and full of despair is realistically depicted by the outstanding actors and the documentary style camerawork. Through the protanogists are not so easily defeated, we may ruminate on what sustains our lives. Jaclyn Jose was awarded Best Actress at Cannes in 2016. (PARK Sungho)