Kalel, 15

Jun Robles Lana's 2019 Filipino film follows Kalel, fifteen. His father is a priest, his mother is in another relationship and the house is under constant tension. Kalel is diagnosed HIV positive and can tell nobody. The film does not turn the illness into a lesson. The real matter is that no adult around Kalel is trustworthy; he has no one to tell and is therefore alone. The narrative follows his turn toward riskier behaviour without judging it. It was shot in black and white, which separates it from the melodramatic tradition around this subject in Philippine cinema. Elijah Canlas's performance was among the most discussed of the year there. Eddie Garcia appears in one of his last roles. Who it's for: those able to watch hard drama about adolescence. Who it's not for: viewers who need to avoid sexual exploitation, substance use and self-harm; the film shows all of it directly.