As one of the few animated Filipino films ever made, there’s a question as to why The Missing should use the animation in the first place. The animation here is much more rough than the ones from other countries, and while it’s a bit more pricey, the filmmakers could have filmed this in live action with practical SFX and CGI. But there’s a big reason why it was animated anyway– It’s because of the story. It’s not just because the protagonist Eric is an animator– it’s because animation, to that specific lead, was the way through which he was able to form a life after trauma, becoming the livelihood that allowed him to move out of his childhood home, and far far away from the trauma he faced. Writer-director Carl Joseph Papa also takes advantage of the medium by creating designs that match Eric’s current state of mind– regular, day-to-day life is rotoscoped, while the blank portions of his memory are traditionally drawn in the style Eric would have had during that age. It’s an unusual approach, but whether or not the story was adjusted to the budget, Iti Mapukpukaw is undeniably a touching and inventive drama that depicts the complexities of grief.
When an alien comes back to take him, a mouthless young man's life twists and turns as his memories untangle.
After his mother Rosalinda asks him to check up on his lost uncle, mouthless animator Eric receives an unexpected visit from the alien that he once met as a kid, triggering him to untangle his past.
The performances. Carlo Aquino is no stranger to roles with limited dialogue– see Isa Pa with Feelings– so he’s probably the best person to depict Eric, who is animated mostly without a mouth.
May every Eric find their Carlo, and get the healing they deserve.
