A maternity ward where hope and desperation share the same cramped bed.
Bigkis is a progressive drama that reveals many of the problems and intense pressure in an overcrowded public maternity hospital. It tells the story of Mariel, an inner-city teen and a member of band faced with the realization of an unwanted pregnancy and its consequences. It also tells the story of Edel, a diligent young hospital attendant who witnesses all the predicament of these unfortunate individuals. This drama takes a straightforward look at the issue of teen pregnancy and single parenting and the plight of small public maternity hospital workers doing the dirty works without receiving any sufficient income.
Acting
Lauren Young's quiet witnessing anchors every scene.
Production
Claustrophobic hospital corridors feel suffocatingly real.
Director
Neal 'Buboy' Tan
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Filipino independent cinema has long used maternity wards as microcosms for national failure—this joins a lineage from Brocka's 'Insiang' to Mendoza's 'Ma' Rosa.'
Director Neal 'Buboy' Tan cast actual public hospital workers in background roles; their improvised reactions to medical equipment shortages weren't in the script.
PH
