Blanka

11-year-old Blanka, a both charming and determined little girl, begs and steals from tourists in the streets of Manila to survive. She has no family. One day, in one of the shop-windows, she sees a TV report on a famous actress who has adopted a little girl. An idea suddenly flashes into her mind : perhaps, if she could buy a mother, she could also have a house and go to school.
She meets Peter, a blind street musician who makes a living from his music that Blanka loves. One day, she starts singing with him and realizes that she has other skills than stealing. Their life quickly improves, but Peter believes that Blanka would be better off living in an orpha- nage.
“In the movie, Blanka wants to get off the street by buying herself a mother. An idea that may sound absurd but maybe not so much in Manila. I wanted to avoid any compassion. My goal in telling this story was not to make the audience feel sorry for the little girl or make them feel sad. Actually, it was quite the opposite... Miraculously, world misery and roughness can only be bearable thanks to children’s imagination and joy.” Kohki Hasei