Santa santita

Malen is a wayward daughter living in poverty who wants excitement or luxury not found in her home, with a mother who prays for others for subsistence donations. The producers have chosen a stunningly beautiful young woman to play the role. The viewers are forced to ache for the mother who cannot control the temptations that Malen sees every day and yearns to enjoy. It is obvious to the viewers that she wants to lose her innocence and have adult experiences. It is obvious that the young man she chooses can only hurt her, but that is the essence of a certain type of film story. Empathy, dread, and fear of tragedy for the main character. Even for non-Catholics or non-Filipino audiences this is a universal story.