Drawn to Light: ‘As the Moth Flies’ flutters into FAMAS Short Film Festival as an official entry
Contributed by Sandy Cagurangan | with additional text by Kate Adajar
In a community where stories often mirror the silent battles within, filmmaking emerges as a powerful voice for advocacy. By coming up with narratives that reflect human experience, cinema can bring forward critical social issues, evoking empathy and driving meaningful change. The power of visual storytelling goes beyond mere entertainment, offering a lens through which we can examine ourselves and the world around us. It is within this intersection of art and advocacy that “As The Moth Flies” takes center stage, confronting a widely known issue in the Philippines – mental health.
Director Gayle Oblea
Produced by Creative Kartel and directed by Gayle Oblea, the short film “As The Moth Flies” boldly places mental health at the forefront of its story within the Philippine context. The film features actors Mina Cruz and Boo Gabunada in leading roles, with support from Epy Quizon. Despite production challenges, “As The Moth Flies” has gained significant recognition, receiving the Best Short Film award in the 2024 Sinag Maynila Film Festival and the 39th PMPC Star Awards for Movies’ Best Short Film Director award for Direk Gayle. This recognition has also paved the way for exposure at international film festivals.
Joining other advocacy-driven films, “As the Moth Flies” has been selected to showcase its insights on mental health awareness at the upcoming FAMAS Short Film Festival, running from May 3 to 10. Direk Gayle expressed her enthusiasm and said, “I’m very flattered and excited at the same time. I’m excited because, you know, there’s a new way for people to really access and see what we’re trying to point out or what we’re trying to fight for here in this field.”
Lead stars Boo Gabunada and Mina Cruz
Award-winning character actor Epy Quizon
Synopsis
The film centers on Tonette, a loving and supportive partner in her late 20s, and Jett, who struggles with mental illness amid. Jett resides at a mental health facility where he receives necessary therapy and recovery programs.
Tonette is tasked with evaluating their relationship through a specific assessment method at partner’s request. Over time, subtle shifts in Jett’s personality become apparent. The narrative explores his worldview, ethical framework, intellectual capabilities, and mental awareness. His interactions outside the facility reveal his self-perception and capacity for maintaining personal connections. Following Tonette’s evaluation, a wave of unexpected emotions surfaces. The wife confronts their marital challenges, issues she had desperately tried to conceal, her heart burdened by a secret source of pain.
Why the Title “As the Moth Flies”?
Direk Gayle explained the dual meaning behind the film’s title. “There’s a figurative and a literal explanation. I’ll start with the literal explanation, which is I think a trivia to everyone, so if you check out someone’s brain like if you go through an MRI, who’s suffering from schizophrenia, you’ll see that it is shaped into a butterfly. Now, the figurative explanation for why I named it “As the Moth Flies”… the moth came into the picture because you know that moths are gamu-gamo so they go to the light, go to candle, they go to fire even though they will self-destruct themselves, and that’s exactly how people with mental illness end up doing things when they are not guided,” she explained in detail. She credited her associate producer, Rhian Magtaal, for her assistance in brainstorming various titles.
The short film “As The Moth Flies” portrays the often-overlooked mental health struggles faced by individuals living with psychological conditions. Creative Kartel and Direk Gayle Oblea have initiated a crucial dialogue within the Philippine film industry through their storytelling and advocacy. Its upcoming participation in the FAMAS Short Film Festival ensures that this work continues to draw attention to hidden mental health battles, urging viewers not only to understand but also to empathize and take supportive action. In a sense, we are all like moths drawn to light, seeking hope, and sometimes, a single narrative can provide light to the path forward.
