Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros

This film pits the purity of first love against the poverty and corruption that dominate the slums of Manila. The Philippine capital is home to twelve-year-old Maxi, who comes from a poor family. Maxi cleans the house, cooks, washes clothes and repairs tattered jeans for his relatives, who are all petty thieves. He even supplies them with the odd alibi, when needed. Maxi’s homosexuality is accepted by his nearest and dearest. Loved and protected by his relatives, he has a calming influence on the family and is the one in charge of the day-to-day running of the household. Things are working out fine until Maxi meets Victor, a respected and principled policeman who awakens his dreams of a better life – on the straight and narrow. This is a recipe for disaster as far as the family is concerned, and it is not long before the situation incurs the wrath of Maxi’s father, brothers and sisters.