Trap (2015 film)


Trap is a 2015 Filipino drama film directed by Brillante Mendoza and starring Nora Aunor, Julio Diaz, Lou Veloso and Aaron Rivera. Taklub centers on the survivors in the aftermath of the Super Typhoon Haiyan that devastated the central part of the Philippines, especially Tacloban, Leyte and how they picked up their lives a year after the typhoon. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. At Cannes it won a commendation awarded by the Ecumenical Jury.

Plot

Taklub follows the lives of several survivors in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. The story centers on Mina, a mother who is desperately searching for her missing husband and child after the devastating storm. Alongside her, two other characters, Liza and Bert, also struggle with the trauma of losing loved ones.
As the survivors navigate the wreckage, they face both physical and emotional challenges while trying to rebuild their lives in the midst of the ongoing disaster relief efforts. Mina, Liza, and Bert must confront their grief and despair while dealing with bureaucratic obstacles and the harsh realities of their devastated community.
The film highlights themes of resilience, survival, and the emotional toll of disaster recovery, providing a deeply human look at the aftermath of one of the deadliest typhoons in history.

Cast

After Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines in 2013, director Brillante Mendoza was asked by others if he would make a film about the disaster, to which he thought could be insensitive for him to exploit the tragedies that have occurred for the victims' lives. Some months later, he was asked by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to create a documentary film about climate change. For it to have a better impact towards audiences, Mendoza suggested to make a narrative film instead.
In preparing for her role, Nora Aunor interviewed some of the people in Tacloban, Leyte, a city heavily damaged by the typhoon.

Release

Trap was screened on May 19, 2015, in the Un Certain Regard section at the 68th Cannes Film Festival. It was also shown at the Sarajevo Film Festival. The film was also part of the 9th Film and Arts Festival Two Riverside in Poland, the 15th T-Mobile New Horizons International Film Festival in Poland, the 28th Helsinki International Film Festival and the 20th Busan International Film.

Reception

Maggie Lee of Variety called it "an intimate yet detached portrait of survivors of Typhoon Yolanda". Clarence Tsui of The Hollywood Reporter wrote that the film "proves to be very much in line with the director's trademark vision of the world as a bleak, imperfect if not even hopeless place". Screen International described it as "a choral film shot in urgent, handheld, docu-drama style that illuminates the tragedy and its aftermath via an intertwined series of personal stories".

Awards