08/08/2025
Sunshine reframes the lens through which abortion stories are often told. At its heart, it is a story of choice, strength, and power.
Sunshine is a film by Antoinette Jadaone that follows the titular Sunshine (Maris Racal), a young national athlete facing an unplanned pregnancy in the Philippines where abortion is criminalized.
As her dreams and future are thrown into uncertainty, Sunshine must confront fear, stigma, and isolation. Through it all, she finds strength, support, and ultimately, the power to choose her own path.
Sunshine is shamed and judged for her pregnancy and for seeking options. Silenced by fear and denied access to proper care, she is pushed into isolation, placing her life at risk.
Her story mirrors that of the 1.26 million women who undergo abortions in the Philippines each year, the 100,000 who are hospitalized, and the 1,000 who die due to complications from unsafe procedures.
These scenes may be uncomfortable to watch with how they hit painfully close to home. But they are handled with care and urge us to confront the depth of danger and desperation that those who undergo clandestine and unsafe abortions face.
More than just revealing harsh realities, Sunshine offers something rarely seen in media: a portrayal of abortion that is compassionate, empowering, and freeing.
Sunshine finds her strength and shapes her own future. Treated with dignity and care by those around her, she is empowered to make informed decisions about her body and grow into the person she dreamed of becoming.
Sunshine is more than a cautionary tale. She is a symbol of hope, allowing us to imagine what can be possible when we have access to empathetic, women-centered reproductive healthcare.
Works like Sunshine spark conversations we've long been conditioned to keep hushed. It opens the door to difficult, yet necessary and potentially life-saving discussions.
Beyond the theaters, we hope the discourse continues as we stand together for the decriminalization of abortion and the right to decide over our own bodies.
Letโs keep telling and amplifying stories that break the silence with uproar, and light the darkness with sunshine.