Firefly

Zig Madamba Dulay's 2023 Filipino film follows a small boy searching for the island of fireflies from his mother's bedtime story. After she dies he treats the notes in her old notebook as clues and sets out. The film does not build the journey as a fable. The boy meets real people; some help him and some try to use him, and the narrative shows different parts of the country. Alessandra de Rossi plays the mother. The tone is melancholy and the narrative leaves it unclear whether he finds the island; the real subject is coping with grief. The cinematography and landscape photography stand out. Who it's for: those who like Filipino drama and films told from a child's view. Who it's not for: viewers for whom the death of a parent would sit heavily.