MMFF 2016: Sunday Beauty Queen - Review

‘Sunday Beauty Queen’ follows a group of Filipino domestic helpers based in Hong Kong. Throughout the week, they are strictly ordered to work all day and night to serve their employers. The only day they are free is during Sundays, when they gather, along with other OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers), for a beauty pageant exclusively for them.

One of the subjects, Leo Selomenio, also a domestic helper in Hong Kong, is organizing this competition. For an event that took up all of their energy, time and money, Selomenio addressed that it is the only time these people prove to themselves that they are bigger than what they are expected of them, regardless of the profession they embarked.

‘Sunday Beauty Queen’ is a love letter to the strong people who strives for their families outside the country, the unsung heroes of our generation, and the unrecognized beauty of an undervalued hardwork. It is very clear that Director Baby Ruth Villarama has put too much love and care to make this thing as right as possible. To be able to entangle such stories of these OFWs and compile all of them into one, cohesive message is a large task, but Villarama nailed it very well.

Being the very first documentary to compete in the entire history of the Metro Manila Film Festival, I must say there’s no other film more fitting to take that spot other than ‘Sunday Beauty Queen’. This is a film that triumphs the Filipino spirit, and a tragic social commentary of what has become to have such issue turn into a much larger and graver one.

The geek rates it 9/10!