As the former teacher in a school adopts her former student as an apprentice in her journey to compete in the Philippines’ Miss Pageant Competition, what follows entails this road movie, which brings together issues of climate change, Filipino mythology (such as Babaylan, the traditional non-conforming healer and oceanic origin of humans), pageant queen, chosen kinship, and the urban landscape of this complicated yet interconnected archipelago.

Together, they, amongst the native populations on various islands, discover what we share in common: that something has been taken from them, be it natural resources or a sense of belonging and family. This inspires them to turn inwards and ask, “what am I here for?” resulting in the union between queer performers and local natives against capitalist landlords. This film signals that true queer liberation lies not in mere gender diversity or rainbow flags, but in liberation for all.

Content notes: mention of suicide, homo/transphobia, misgendering