Review: Minsan Lang Sila Bata

           

This one is different, it’s a documentary. Minsan Lang Sila Bata is a Filipino documentary by Ditsi Carolino that talks about child labor on the late 1990’s in the Visayas Region of Philippines.

            Categorizes as realism, the documentary tells what we can see in the naked eye and unveiling the truth towards that hidden lies and covered truth. The documentary may be old but the message that it’s carrying is still abundant even today.

            The documentary never criticizes any individual but its only showing what’s problem with the system.

            As for the Minsan lang Sila Bata, its all about what we see during those years and doesn’t need any understanding for Mise-en-scene aspect. It really shows how child labor was high during those years.

            Technicality aside, the story of it was well told you can never say that the documentary is a fallacy because at first hand the author was already experiencing what it is like to be on the feet of the children doing jobs which is not meant for them. The shots and angles, the follow through, and interpretation of ideas towards its audience was well done.

            As an ordinary audience and a person living in a more convenient era, you can feel and see the differences and gap between the years where child labor was just normal scenery.

            Therefore, a good documentary must not be measured according to how informative it was but on how it was delivered and understood by the audience.

            The Minsan lang Sila Bata is easily definitive, and all Filipinos must watch it, in different ages, and different eras to deeply understand what it is to be Filipino.