Between the Eyes

Luisito L. Ignacio’s BETWEEN THE EYES begins just before the Mud People Festival in Bibiclat, Philippines. Coinciding with the feast of St. John the Baptist, the annual ritual commemorates when heavy rains miraculously camouflaged villagers from Japanese assailants during the 1940s. Today, downtrodden Julia, her teenage son Tonio, and her developmentally disabled son Etok are among the many townspeople who continue to give thanks to St. John despite their dire circumstances. Still, Tonio is not immune to the typical urges of teenage boys. Smitten with his friend Lani, Tonio is convinced his tattered clothes and lack of money will hardly sweep her off her feet. So when local crime boss Carias offers Tonio a seemingly simple job, the desperate teen can’t resist the hefty payoff or the opportunity to demonstrate his worth. But juggling a new love life, his family commitments, and the mobster’s demands prove to be more than Tonio can handle, and he is soon wishing for yet another miracle in Bibiclat. (In Tagalog with subtitles) – E.B.