The Next 24 Hours, director Carl Joseph Papa’s entry at this year’s Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival, unfolds like a surreal dream.
The short film explores the nightmarish aftermath of a young woman’s sexual assault, portrayed by Christela Marquez. Shot in Papa’s distinct rotoscope animation style, it lends a haziness to the emotional fallout that its protagonist must endure.
“With animation, there’s always meaning behind it,” Papa told Rolling Stone Philippines. “Animation [means] bringing something to life. And ang advocacy namin is to bring to life these stories about people who can’t use their voices anymore. So itong paggawa ng The Next 24 Hours: to use animation para magbigay ng boses sa iba.”
This isn’t the first time that the filmmaker has used animation to bring sensitive issues to the silver screen. His 2023 sci-fi drama, Iti Mapukpukaw (The Missing), also used the medium to explore how a mother and son (played by Dolly de Leon and Carlo Aquino, respectively) dealt with the aftermath of sexual assault. Aquino’s character is animated without a mouth, symbolizing how he had lost the ability to speak up after experiencing abuse at the hands of a family member. The film premiered in Cinemalaya in 2023 and went on to become the Philippines’ official entry to the 2024 Oscars’ Best International Feature Film category.
However, The Next 24 Hours sees Papa exploring a more personal form of trauma. “[The Next 24 Hours is based] on the personal experience of someone close to me,” said Papa. “It’s their experience na ri-reflect namin. Ang worry lang namin was na we didn’t want to overdramatize or sensationalize ‘yong nangyayari.”
“It’s not always easy for victims to speak up,” continued Papa, “pero it’s the most crucial thing, ‘yong susunod na 24 hours after being assaulted… ‘yon din ‘yong make or break nila kung may mangyayari. We wanted to spark a conversation and to raise awareness, kasi may stigma pa against people who are abused. They are kept silent.”
“Sometimes, it feels borderline inhumane to go through that 24-hour process after being assaulted,” the short film’s producer, Anna Velario, told Rolling Stone Philippines.
Every element of The Next 24 Hours has been meticulously planned to spotlight the unspoken trauma of sexual assault victims, down to the film’s lean 14-minute run time. “Maganda ang short films kasi you send the message right away,” said Papa on his choice to steer away from a full-length feature when creating The Next 24 Hours. “Feel ko na short films have immediacy. And when you’re presented with an animated short, you get both a burst of life and immediacy.”
The Next 24 Hours is set to make its premiere at Cinemalaya this week; however, beyond the festival, Papa hopes to make the short film as accessible as possible to audiences. While no plans have been finalized yet, the director hopes to submit the short to festivals outside of Metro Manila or release it digitally on platforms such as YouTube. “Sexual assault happens everywhere, and to everybody,” said Papa, “so kailangan siya pag-usapan.”
“My films, especially recently, have become more of an advocacy rather than just telling stories,” added Papa. “Na-reinforce ako na this is the direction that I want to take.”
Cinemelaya 2025 is set to run from October 3 to 12 at multiple venues: Shangri-La Plaza, Gateway Mall, and Ayala Malls Cinemas in Manila Bay, Market! Market!, Circuit, and U.P. Town Center.
