Thelma

Inspired by true stories of Filipino athletes living in the provinces of the Philippines, THELMA tells the story of a girl who runs—runs to save her family, to save her future, and to save herself. Thelma lives on the farm of her poor, working-class family. She walks barefoot to school every day with her younger sister Hannah, indifferent to the laborous life she is destined to live. Irresponsible and hard-headed, she remains a burden to her parents. But when Hannah endures a debilitating accident, tragedy strikes the family and Thelma is forced to live with the overwhelming sense of guilt of not taking care of her loved ones. As an attempt to financially aid the family she has let down thus far, Thelma enters a marathon race determined to win the cash prize. What she discovers is her overwhelming gift of speed—a talent that fills her with passion and will prove to change the course of her life, and her family's life, forever. THELMA is the moving tale of a young girl's struggle to overcome her obstacles and refusal to give up on her dream. (In Tagalog and Ilocano with subtitles) – M.M.