Shot in the Filipino slums of Manila, The Blossoming Of Maximo Oliveros is a tender, bittersweet coming of age tale, narrating the transformation of twelve-year-old cross-dresser Maxi (Nathan Lopez).
A confused young soul, Maxi is raised by his father and brothers, playing housewife while they go out to steal for a living. Viewing this way of life as mundane, Maxi’s world is disrupted when Victor, a rigidly ethical policeman, captures his heart and shows him a new life away from crime. Shot in a hand-held, pseudo realistic style, the film cuts to the heart of life in the slums, while simultaneously exploring Maxi’s emotional confusion over where his loyalties lie. Along the way, he learns that gender is a fluid idea that he should use to express, but not define himself. Gathering awards from all over the world, Maximo Oliveros is a truly moving film, saturated with colour and emotion.
