Canadian Premiere
Animation Plus

The Missing (Iti Mapukpukaw)

Directed by Carl Joseph Papa

Credits  

Official selection

Annecy International Animation Festival 2024
Palm Springs International Film Festival 2024
International Film Festival Rotterdam 2024
Osaka Asian Film Festival 2024
Queer East Festival 2024

Honors

Best Supporting Actress for Dolly de Leon - Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival 2023

Philippines' submission to the 96th Academy Awards

Best Film - Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival 2023

NETPAC Award - Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival 2023

Director

Carl Joseph Papa

Writer

Carl Joseph Papa

Cast

Carlo Aquino, Dolly De Leon, Gio Gahol

contact

Project 8 Projects

Philippines 2023 90 mins OV Filipino Subtitles : English
Genre DramaAnimationLGBTQIA2S+

“An excellent film that manages to reinvigorate the genre through its contextual uniqueness, while remaining pleasant to the eye from beginning to end”
– Panos Kotzathanasis, ASIAN MOVIE PULSE

Eric (Carlo Aquino) leads a fairly typical life as an animator, holding a well-paying job and harbouring feelings for his co-worker Carlo (Gio Gahol). However, one conspicuous detail about Eric is his lack of a mouth, quite literally. One day, he receives a call from his mother, Rosalinda (Dolly De Leon), urging him to check up on his missing uncle, only to discover that his uncle has been deceased for several days. What follows, however, is not sadness, but the resurfacing of a childhood memory that robbed him of his voice. The alien who once abducted him returns to his life, wanting to take him away from Earth…

THE MISSING marks director Carl Joseph Papa's third feature-length animated film. Following MANANG BIRING (2015), the queer, surrealist hybrid of romance, drama and sci-fi THE MISSING once again embraces the challenge of digital rotoscope animation, inviting the audience to join Eric in experiencing the blend of illusion and reality, struggle and relief, love and support as he searches for his own voice. Additionally, Papa’s film features a star-studded cast including the internationally renowned actress Dolly De Leon (TRIANGLE OF SADNESS, 2022), talented newcomer Carlo Aquino (THIRD WORLD ROMANCE, 2023), and the brilliant Gio Gahol (SILA-SILA, 2019). Will Eric find his voice amidst the listening ears of his family and loved ones? – Xige Yi