Unspoken Letters Reflection

(AY. 2024-2025)

Gyllian Aliyah S. Onday, 11-HUMSS

Submitted to: Ms. Marissa Tassara Samudio

  Synopsis

        The movie titled Unspoken Letters, is about the main character with a mental disorder, Felipa who is suffering with the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), is the youngest sibling in a family that is played by Jhassy Busran. Unspoken Letters is a heartfelt drama-film Directed by Mario Gatdula Alaman and Paolo Bertola, in the year 2023. Felipa's neurodivergent tendencies is the cause of her 7 years old mentality, making her odd in the age of 17 years old. The film also portrays other characters who are Felipa's parents and siblings from oldest to second to the youngest, characters such as: Tatay Conrado(Simon Ibarra), Nanay Aurora (Glydel Mercado), Nestor (Tonton Gutierrez), Mariel(Gladys Reyes), Arman(Orlando Sol), Katrina(Christine Samson) And other supporting roles: Riza (Matet De Leon), and Ramon(Edmund Dreu Santiago). 

        The story of the film Unspoken Letters not only relates about the family with an ill father and daughter, but also generally specializing the title with an underlying meaning that tells about the siblings taking a step to uncover the missing pieces of their family's past to resolve their inner conflicts, while acknowledging the lesson of learning how to understand people's differences and look for the real answers than humiliating our parents. In the end, the siblings manage to find the answers they seek and continues to learn and to love each other.

 Main Characters:

Felipa

    Felipa the main character and the youngest sibling of the film Unspoken Letters, played by Jhassy Busran, an actress known for her other films: Caught in the Act (2021) and Home I Found in You (2023).  

    The Unspoken Letters film title could also reflect Felipa's disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a mental illness that could affect how someone behaves and thinks making them rather odd than a normal person. Just like Felipa, the disorder affects the way she thinks, especially her speaking, making her different by having a hard time to phrase words and connect them unlike a typical 17 years old. Felipa's autism gives off a 7 years old mentality, making her inclined to bullying and often takes the blame as she couldn't defend herself. 

     Although, as seen throughout the film, Felipa is smarter than the way she behaves. With all of her achievements by their wall, even scraping on her older brother, Nestor's car—from the sticker 4x4, Felipa scraped a =16 as an answer beside it. It is also seen that she have an imaginary friend who she call "Ora" that often accompanies her around. 

    Despite all of the blames and slaps Felipa endures, she still manage to look up to her older siblings and do what she can to help them. Felipa often overheard her older siblings talking about their problems as in the main conflict of the film, Felipa decides to sell her medals to the pawnshop as she thinks it's a real gold and would help her other older brother, Arman, to pay off his debt and to have extra money for his father's illness. By the end of the film, Felipa's sibling apologizes for not caring for her like how they care for themselves. She also bids goodbye to Ora at the end as Ora disappears.

     Nestor

    Nestor is one of the main characters of Unspoken Letters. He is the eldest son of Tatay Conrado and Nanay Aurora. He is also played by the actor Tonton Gutierrez who is known for his popular films: May bukas pa (2009), Abot kamay ang pangarap (1996) and Pasan ko ang daigdig (1987).

    Nestor is known to be the family's lawyer as he possess the Special Power of Attorney. Being the eldest and having a bad background, Nestor grew up rebellious. On his background story, it was seen that he was sent by his father, Tatay Conrado to study away and stay by his grandmother, Lola Carmen's home at Naic, Cavite as a "punishment" for his bad behaviors. Since when Nestor is away, he grew more and more rebellious. Young Nestor always have his siblings in mind, that even in Naic, he plays guitar as he sings his mother's lullaby. Over time as he became the family's attorney, he gets back to Tatay Conrado's house with a one goal in mind, to get his only heirloom whom he divided as the 'eldest' sibling. 

    Nestor is not fond of Felipa that he didn't even hesitated to threat and slap her when she was only stopping her nephews while fighting. He also got mad when Felipa scraped an "answer" on his car next to the sticker. 

    The conflict of the story came as Nestor and Tatay Conrado starts looking for the missing Felipa who went to the pawnshop. Though, before Nestor could even go far with his driving, he stopped his car and proceeds to ask his father if he even cares for once to him. But Tatay Conrado, who is suffering with Alzheimer, told him the story that his mother, Nanay Aurora wishes to sell his kid—young Nestor after he was told that he'll get punished—to Japan, but to protect him, Tatay Conrado makes him stay by his granmother's house instead. What Tatay Conrado said made Nestor emotional as he misunderstood everything he thinks he suffered alone, he and his father then began looking for Felipa. 

    Nestor began to have an improved relationship with his father and the rest of his younger siblings, even swearing to protect them as the family's attorney by the end of the film as they were celebrating Tatay Conrado's birthday. 

Mariel

    The second eldest of the siblings in Unspoken Letters, Mariel staring by the actress Gladys Reyes, whom she also popular with: for Feast (2022), The Coffin Maker (2014) and Mara Clara (1992). She's also been married to Christopher Roxas since January 23, 2004. They have four children.

    Mariel seems to have Nanay Aurora protective of her, as by the time Ramon was asking approval to court her, Nanay Aurora took down his offer. But when the time passes by, it was seen that her and Ramon got together and had a female child together. 

    Mariel's mistake is when she blames Felipa for the death of their mother, Nanay Aurora. She also didn't hesitate to slap Felipa when her kid accused Felipa of slapping her. Even though Felipa reasoned that her nephews wanted to act out as a wanted actor, Mariel did not listen to her reasoning.

    Along with her other siblings, she deeply cares for her father Tatay Conrado as he was showing his Alzheimer's. Mariel, who's a pharmacist doctor grew more worried for his reasoning of "being forgetful" as she even starts to check up on Tatay Conrado's medicine. 

    Mariel is hesitant but she also admitted that she's only back on their father's residence to get her own half of shared heirloom. By the end film, she apologized to Felipa and promised to love her the same as how her mother loves Felipa and the rest of them, siblings.

 

Tatay Conrado

 

      Tatay Conrado is one of the main characters of the Unspoken Letters. His role was played by no other Simon Ibarra. He is an actor who's also known in: Maalaala Mo Kaya (1991), Live Show (2000) and Kadin (2007).   

     Tatay Conrado is suffering from a mental illness everyone thought was a simple sickness a person can get when they got older, eventually the siblings found out he's suffering with stage 2 Alzheimer. He is often seen only laughing and being mostly positive, even if he's showing his 'forgetful' side.

    As a father, to protect his children, he decided to take away his eldest son, Nestor to study from afar for his own improvements. He always knew how rebellious Nestor felt towards him. Tatay Conrado also played a that he's going to abroad to work, but he lies about the truth. He actually got arrested instead of working outside the country, just like he and Nanay Aurora reasoned.  

     Unlike no other, at the climax of the film, he is shown to be protected of Felipa but he surely see his children equally. He cares for Felipa that it's generalized that her other siblings might be jealous, especially by the undivided attention of Tatay Conrado after the death of Nanay Aurora.

    Because of his Alzheimer's, he often forgets about everything, even the death of his wife, on their anniversary and his birthday celebration, he's still looking and waiting for his wife to "finish" changing, making Mariel emotional.

    He's more than glad to see Felipa safe at the pawnshop as the family celebrated Tatay Conrado's birthday together. 

 

Nanay Aurora

     One of the outstanding actress staring Glydel Mercado, playing as Nanay Aurora in the film Unspoken Letters. She's also known for: Sidhi (1999), My Husband's Lover (2013) and Kung mahawi man ang ulap (2007). She has been married to Tonton Gutierrez since 2004. They have two children.

    Nanay Aurora was seen to be protective to her children, especially to her girls. Her death is one of the unexpected deaths in the film, understanding why the siblings blame Felipa for her death. It was shown that she's purchasing vegetables before Felipa ran away from her as the little Felipa got distracted by the balloons, even crossing the road before Nanay Aurora grasp Felipa. Not even a minute later, her back got hit by the truck as Felipa calls for her and asking her to buy her the balloon. Nanay Aurora with a smile passed away at the road.

    Nanay Aurora was actually the person who gave answers the siblings seek all this time to solve their inner conflicts, making her letters play the important roles into shaping the family back together. As a mother, so thoughtful that the sibling's heirloom was already divided, even before her death. 

Katrina

    Katrina is the second to the last sibling of Felipa. She's also played by the actress, Christine Samson, who's popular works are: Princess Dayareese (2021), Unspoken Letters (2023) and May for Ever (2024).

    Katrina was the one who's there for Felipa in the family residence. She is perceived as the "youngest" as the siblings ignores Felipa's presence. In the film she's also hesitant to admit that she wanted the heirloom. Despite admitting about it, she cares about Tatay Conrado, even stating that it's wrong to discuss about who heirs this and that when the father is still alive.

    Katrina was the one who Felipa could really look up as her sister as she never left the neurodivergent girl's side. 

 

Arman, Riza

    Arman, the third eldest sibling and his wife, Riza, staring by Orlando Sol and Matet De Leon. Orlando's popular films: Pilapil (2016), Id'Nal (Mapusok) (2012) and My Guardian Alien (2024). Matet De Leon's actress movies: One day, isang araw (1988), An Inconvenient Love (2022) and Mama dito sa aking puso (1997). She is also married to Mickey Estrada.

    The Unspoken Letters film seen that Riza is having a hard time dealing with Felipa's neurodivergent tendencies. Even Arman didn't hesitated to slap Felipa when he found out she "hurt" his son. 

    The film also shows how Arman is struggling under debt, whom Felipa overheard. Because of this, the reason why he's at Tatay Conrado's estate, he didn't want to look dirty but he also just came for his spare loom, to pay off his debts. He's also the one who found out Felipa's 'mysterious' box and showed it to his siblings, unknowingly it's from their deceased mother, Nanay Aurora.

    With a resolving conflict by the end of the film, Riza apologizes to Felipa as well, as when Arman's "friends" called again, Nestor was the one who handles the call and puts it down.

Reflection: 

    

    The film Unspoken Letters by the spectacular actors, staring Jhassy Busran playing as the mentally-ill Felipa. A 17 years old girl who behaves like 7 years old because of her suffering with her Autism Spectrum Disorder. Throughout the film, Felipa is clearly showing her struggles and sufferings she endured as a person with a disorder. The film portrays not only Felipa's struggles, but also her older siblings who seeks answers for their inner conflicts.

    The film circles about the family's siblings who seeks answers from their parents. The story also gives us a lot of moral lessons such as, learning how to understand the differences of each other and to not act so recklessly around the people you care, as in the end of the day, there are things even unspoken words that will be buried inside them that'll remember for a long time. It's also fascinating how they foreshadow the title with an underlying meaning.

    For first expectations, it's expected to thought that there's something Felipa wants to say but couldn't because of her oddness. But, over the climax and determining why the title was "Unspoken Letters", is because of Nanay Aurora's written letters, which the siblings never knew existed and only have read it by the time she already deceased. The innovation of the film from the way the siblings only chase for their shared heirloom, to understanding what a real family shouldn't make a difference just because one of them is different.

    In the overall of the film, Unspoken Letters is about the exploration of familial bonds, communication, and the often-overlooked struggles faced by those with autism. The film vividly illustrates Felipa's challenges while still highlighting the emotional struggles of her siblings as they navigate their complex relationships. The narrative beautifully unfolds the theme of understanding and acceptance, urging viewers to appreciate the unique differences that each person. The title's deeper significance reveals the importance of words left unspoken, emphasizing how crucial it is to open communication within families.