“A warm homage to cinema itself… Watch it and understand why Filipino cinema is now hot.” - Rotterdam Film Festival

In the neo-realistic tradition of De Sica's The Bicycle Thief, Adela follows a former radio personality living in the slums of Manila, as she confronts her prevailing loneliness on her 80th birthday.

Taking on the titular role, veteran actress Anita Linda turns in an award-winning bravura performance. Young filmmaker Adolfo Alix Jr grants her full ownership of every shot, where a mere look in the eye says more than a thousand words.

“A deeply compassionate portrait of the plight of the elderly in the Philippines. It is a powerful treatise on how destitution and corruption have forced families apart, and how the aged are often left to fend for themselves.” - Toronto Film Festival