While HIV remains a sensitive, stigma-stained topic, conversations do happen—and sometimes, these important talks happen on the big screen.
Case in point: 2019 film “Kalel, 15,” which is finally reaching a wider audience, thanks to Netflix.
Produced by the IdeaFirst Company with writer-director Jun Lana, “Kalel, 15” centers on a 15-year-old boy who happens to be the son of a priest. No one but his small family knows his paternal connection to the clergyman. The isolation soon spirals into a search for love and recognition, which he struggles to find with the strangers he meets online.
Just like taboo discussions on HIV, Kalel’s diagnosis is a mystery to most. It doesn’t help that both his mother and sister have run off with their respective lovers, leaving Kalel to fend for himself and to search for his so-called “holy” father.
The indie film bagged several wins at the awards circuit this year, including Gawad Urian’s Best Screenplay and Best Actor for Elijah Canlas. The film starts streaming on Netflix on Dec. 9, as December happens to be HIV/AIDS Awareness Month.
“Kalel, 15” joins the many films Netflix has to offer that address heavy-hitting issues. Check out the trailer below.
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Still from “Kalel, 15”