Latina (2026)

[bunniefuu]

sh*t.

[knocks]

Ms. Niks, can I have a turn?

Fine, alright then.

sh*t.

The bathroom faucet is still leaking.

When are you getting it fixed?

How about you pay your rent

first before complaining?

I was just reminding you.

Come on.

Poy.

Do that later.

Let's have coffee first.

I have a question.

[sighs]

Here we go again.

Thanks.

If you had to choose

just one movie to watch,

what would it be?

Just one?

Forever?

That sounds like a punishment.

Exactly.

You have to choose something

you won't get tired of.

No matter what movie it is,

if that's the only thing

you can ever watch,

you're going to get sick of it.

That's the whole challenge.

I'd probably choose something light.

Like what?

A rom-com.

The kind I can just leave

on in the background.

The type where...

you don't really learn anything.

Exactly.

How about you?

I guess for me...

Before Sunrise.

Isn't that just them

walking the whole time,

and nothing actually happens?

You don't watch that

movie for the plot.

The whole point is the feeling.

Hmm...

You know,

it's way too early to be

thinking about stuff like this.

That's a late-night

kind of question.

We should be having drinks

if we're talking about that.

- Right?

- Well, it's meant to wake us up.

Coffee works just fine.

I'm hungry.

What's good to eat?

Whatever. I'm down for anything.

That's the problem with you.

What?

How is that a problem?

Like that.

Whatever's available.

That's all she wants.

- So?

- You should know what you want.

Life is much easier when

you just accept what's there.

- Right?

- Yeah.

- No stress.

- Exactly.

It's simple.

It's easy, sure, but...

- if you don't know what you want,

- Mm?

how are you supposed

to know who you are?

Then just check your ID.

Nice one.

So, what?

Are we going to eat, or just sit

here staring at each other?

What do you guys want?

- Make up your minds.

- Beef tapa.

- Beef tapa it is, then.

- Let's go with beef tapa.

Yeah, let's go with that.

Poy, three orders of beef tapa.

Got it, Ms. Niks.

Poy, some pandesal too.

Wow.

- Wow.

- Hi.

Hi.

- I'm Katarina, by the way.

- Hello.

- I'm the new tenant.

- Oh.

- Yes.

- You spoke with my mom, right?

Oh, yes.

I'm the owner's daughter.

- Oh, so you're the one she mentioned.

- Yeah.

Okay.

So, this is Mark.

- He's a tenant here.

- Hello.

- Hi. Hi, Mark.

- Hello.

- Hello.

- Hello.

Uhm... And this is Popoy.

- Hi, Ma'am.

- He's the helper here.

If you need anything,

just look for him.

You can look for me, too,

if you need anything.

My muscles are bigger than his.

Shh. Behave yourself.

So... which unit am I in again?

Come on. Let me

show you the unit.

Thank you.

Poy, please bring her

luggage up here.

Yes, Ma'am.

- Wow.

- Yeah. Very Latina.

There's a common bathroom

for men and women.

Okay.

This is your unit.

Come on in.

Here's your place.

You can open the window

if it gets too hot.

Um... Where are you from?

All over the place.

How did you end up here?

To enroll.

For college?

Mm-hmm.

Hmm. You really

chose this place?

Just a random decision.

Hmm. Alright.

If you need anything,

just let me know.

Here's the key.

Thank you.

Nikki.

Hi, Ms. Nikki.

- Wheres the...

- Just Nikki.

- What?

- Just Nikki.

Okay. Nikki.

Where's the nearest

store around here?

Uhm, I'm actually heading there.

- Come on, walk with me.

- Okay.

What do you think of this place?

Honestly,

it feels kind of nostalgic.

Because...

it's like this place feels familiar

even though it's

my first time here.

- Really?

- Mm-hmm.

That's good to hear.

I was actually a bit worried

you might not like it here.

Why? Do your tenants

usually move out?

Yeah. There are a few long-timers,

but only a few left.

A lot of them have left too.

I don't even know why.

Hmm. Just people passing through.

That's really the nature

of your work, right?

Everything is just temporary.

Mm-hmm.

The tenant from earlier, Mark,

he's the one I'm curious about.

Why?

He complains a lot.

I didn't think he'd stay for so long.

But look at him, it's been five

years and he's still here.

Maybe he just feels

at home with you.

Hey.

- You're reading into it too much.

- Just kidding.

What about you?

Don't you want to leave?

Hmm... Sometimes.

But not anytime soon.

Why?

Do you know that feeling like...

this has already happened?

But I don't know why.

Like dj vu?

Like dj vu. But...

But like what?

Like I dreamed about coming here.

Hey, man, how's it going?

I'm good. Keeping busy

with the watering, I see.

Well, I might get scolded again.

Since one of her plants died.

- Thats what I heard.

- Yeah.

Where could she be going?

Maybe she just wants

to go out.

Obviously. But where?

Does she even know where

she's going around here?

It feels like she does.

Maybe she just wants

to walk around.

Right? It's so weird.

What's weird about taking a walk?

I don't know.

She's new here.

It's just a bit weird.

[scoffs]

Sounds like you want

to go with her.

Why don't you just go with her?

Go after her, man.

What about you?

Don't you want to?

Man, if that were me, Id go

with her to the ends of the earth.

But the way she acts, you'd

think she's from here, right?

Bro, what's a local

supposed to be like?

I don't know.

Whatever.

It's like she's been here before.

Why don't you just go after her?

Hi.

Hi.

Can't sleep?

I don't want to sleep.

When I was new here,

I was the same way.

Have you been here long?

A while now.

That's why I notice a lot of things.

Like what?

Like people's habits.

What they like.

What they hate, which

is why they're here.

But you...

I still don't know why you're here.

Do you want to know?

You're intriguing,

if only you knew.

Because I'm new?

There's just something about you.

Everyone has something about them.

Exactly.

But you're different.

It's like...

you're hiding something

that I want to find out.

Do you really want to know?

You can trust me.

Why did you leave your place?

I couldn't take it anymore.

Take what?

The...

The abuse.

Abuse?

By whom?

Your family?

Is that why you ran away?

I just couldn't handle what

they were doing anymore.

Which is what?

The abuse from Mom and Dad.

One time...

I went to school.

Covered in bruises on my arms.

Of course...

my teacher and classmates

would ask me.

What happened there?

And...

I'd just say...

Nothing.

I just fell down the stairs.

You know what hurts?

It's not the beatings.

It's...

It's the thought that

no matter how much

I protect them,

they can't do the same for me.

They can't do it for me.

Why do they do that to you?

I don't know either.

Sometimes I just think I deserve it.

Sometimes I just think

I actually deserve it.

I just think...

maybe it was the same for them.

Maybe they were hurt too, right?

For them to be able to

do something like that.

Because I really tried

to understand.

I forced myself to understand.

Don't worry.

You're safe here.

No one's going to hurt you.

You don't have work?

I didn't go.

I didn't feel like it.

I saw her earlier.

Who?

Katarina.

- Where?

- She left so early.

Around what time?

Around...

five in the morning.

Five?

Yeah. Around that time.

Maybe she was just

taking a walk.

It's weird.

Taking a walk when

it's so dark out here.

It's actually calming

to go out early.

It sounds like...

you know her so well already?

We talked.

Really?

When?

Last night.

What did she say?

Nothing much.

But, Poy, there's something about her.

She's different.

She's incredibly arousing.

It's not just that.

What then?

I can't explain it.

She's just not like other people.

What do you mean exactly?

I don't know.

It's like she's been through

things we wouldn't understand.

I don't get you.

I can't explain it.

You only talked to her for a bit,

and you're already like that.

It's not like a crush.

She's just interesting.

Wow.

Just admit it.

You like her.

It's nothing.

I just really want

to understand her.

[knocks]

Uhm, what is it, Ms. Katarina?

Just Katarina.

The switch isn't working.

Is there no power?

Uhm...

Alright.

Poy.

Poy!

Poy!

Ah, yes, Ma'am?

She said the light

switch isn't working.

Please go check it.

Take care of it, okay?

- Sure, Ma'am.

- I'm just going to cook.

It's probably the breaker.

Breaker?

What's that?

Its... uhm...

Someone must have tampered

with the breaker outside.

- Hmm.

- Yeah.

Okay.

Uhm, alright, Ma'am.

Im gonna go check it.

Wait.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Why are you here?

What about you?

Why are you here?

Wheres your family?

Uhm...

I'm from Bicol.

I'm here to support

our needs back home.

Good for you, at least you

have a family to support.

Me?

My parents died.

When I was just a kid.

My grandmother raised me.

But...

When I was only ten years old...

My grandmother died too.

I grew up on the streets.

A street kid, as they call it.

There's a small bridge

in this one town.

It's small.

Narrow.

That's where you'd see huge rats.

About this big. The size of cats.

Through days,

through nights,

that served as my roof.

Let me just tell you

about Aunt Atang instead.

- Sure.

- Listen up. This is a good story.

Aunt Atang

used to sell cigarettes

on the sidewalk.

Cigarettes and candy.

Next to her were those selling

kwek-kwek, penoy, balut...

You know the drill.

Day or night, Aunt Atang was there.

One time, it rained.

It was pouring.

The people on the sidewalk,

the vendors there, left one by one.

But Aunt Atang stayed even

though the rain was so heavy.

That old lady was hardcore.

One night...

The rain finally stopped.

When the rain cleared,

a guy bought a cigarette.

Aunt Atang handed him the cigarette.

As she handed it over,

he grabbed the money

All of her earnings.

That's messed up.

Don't be impressed by that yet.

Be more impressed

that the old lady ran.

She chased the guy down.

Thats true.

You don't believe me?

Anyway, she ran.

Then they both tripped and fell.

Aunt Atang grabbed a stone.

She started to...

What do you call that?

- Crush?

- No.

Not crush.

That...

- Slam?

- Slam. Right.

She kept slamming him

with the stone over and over.

But the most incredible part...

was her face.

It's as if nothing happened.

Like, completely calm.

After that, the guy stopped moving.

Was he dead?

Well, he wasn't moving anymore.

So he was probably dead.

But that's not what amazed me.

What was she thinking?

The old lady.

While she was slamming

the guy over and over.

What do you think

was on her mind?

I don't know.

Me?

I thought...

Son of a b*tch.

This is the only job I have,

and you can't even respect it.

You still have the nerve

to disrespect it.

It was from Aunt Atang

that I learned

how to survive in a world

where no one else

is going to save you

but yourself.

Hey, why are you still awake?

The world is really different

in the early morning hours.

How is it different?

Nothing.

Everyone is asleep.

And...

you're the only one awake.

It's quiet.

It's like...

It's like my mind is quiet too.

Are you always

awake at this hour?

I just don't want to sleep.

Do you really want to

know where I'm from?

Where are you actually from?

From Light of Way.

- Light of Way?

- Mhm.

What's that?

It's like a...

facility, kind of like a convent too.

So, what is it?

A mental hospital,

but with nuns?

Something like that.

But it's a vast estate.

People with mental health

problems like me are there.

There are rich people

there who are depressed.

Then schizophrenics who can't

tell what's real and what's not.

Psychos that...

dont have any conscience.

There are many stories there..

That are never told.

What about you?

Why were you there?

Sometimes...

I sleepwalk.

Sometimes I just wake up,

and I don't know where I am,

or what I did.

It's like...

I'm on fast-forward.

Sometimes I just don't know

why I'm there,

or what I did.

Sometimes I'll just

wake up and I'm on a bus.

I don't know where I'm heading.

There was one time...

I woke up standing.

When I looked down at my feet,

I was at the very edge of a cliff.

It's as if...

Its like...

I was about to jump.

Where I came from...

was two provinces away.

How did I even end up there?

Is that why you were

confined at Light of Way?

I don't know if...

it's me who isn't safe,

or them.

So how are you now?

I'm okay now.

I don't sleepwalk anymore.

But...

I'm still afraid to sleep.

When was the last time

you sleepwalked?

Maybe a year ago,

since I was confined.

Hmm.

Are you really happy here?

Just fine.

Are you really happy?

Why is there a "just"?

What's the deal anyway?

The world out there is so vast,

why don't you want to leave?

I don't really need to leave.

Or you just don't want to?

sh*t.

Hasn't Kata come home yet?

She always goes missing,

you should be used to it by now.

Yeah, she goes out

every single day.

I don't even know where she goes.

She actually told me

she ran away from home.

Maybe she isn't used

to being cooped up.

She has trauma from her parents.

Parents?

Maybe she just asleep.

Might still be dreaming.

She grew up on the streets.

She doesn't have parents anymore.

How did you even know that?

She told me.

When did you guys talk?

Friday, I think.

She confessed to me that

she came from a convent.

- A convent?

- A convent?

A convent that's also

like a mental hospital.

I don't know. That's just

how I understood it.

That's different from

what she told me.

She told me...

she ran away from her parents.

Because they were hurting her.

I feel like we just really

misunderstood her.

f*ck.

Nikki, I'm going out for a bit.

Sure.

[phone rings]

I'm exhausted from looking.

Did you find her?

I don't even know where she is.

- So, what?

- What?

Did you guys see her?

I've been going around

for a while now.

I'm tired.

Me too.

Any news?

She wasn't in any of the

places I suspected. You?

I already asked

around everywhere.

No one saw her.

Maybe she just ran away.

She left her phone and her wallet.

And all her things, too.

I'm scared that maybe...

Maybe someone

already kidnapped her.

With the way she looks.

She'd be targeted by...

Don't be like that.

Let's just think positive.

Hopefully, maybe...

she just got lost.

Did you guys try asking the

people playing at the court?

Let's go.

Where?

I have a hunch.

Katarina!

What happened?

Are you okay?

Kata.

Go over there to the end.

Help her.

Are you okay?

Are you alright?

Have her sit down.

Careful.

Poy, please get her some water.

Drink some water first.

What do you think happened?

Why was she naked?

Did someone take her?

Why?

I don't know.

From the stories she told me,

she's running away from someone.

Who?

I don't know.

Maybe her parents.

That's impossible.

What did she say to

you earlier anyway?

She said she couldn't

remember anything.

She did remember something.

A name. She said Benny.

She kept repeating it over and over.

- Benny?

- She said the name is Benny..

She told me earlier

that she blacked out.

Blacked out?

I mean, she mentioned

that vacant lot to me before.

Like she had dreamed about it.

Like dj vu.

Like she had been there before

but couldn't remember.

- Right? It's weird.

- It's so confusing.

Hey, you guys are drinking again.

It's like I don't know what's real

and what's not anymore.

Sometimes I feel like...

I'm a plant pretending to be human.

You know that feeling?

It's like I'm just dreaming that...

I've taken a human form.

Lately, my dreams have been so weird.

It's as if... they actually happened.

What was that name again?

Do you know it?

What was it again?

What was it?

Roderick Paulates character

in "Abangan..."

"Abangan..."

What was it again?

You really can't remember?

Why?

Why do I need to remember?

Because I can't remember

anything anymore.

I saw myself in you.

Hello. Are you our new tenant?

Yes. I'm Tina, by the way.