A Year of Hope

”A Year of Hope” is a coming-of-age story about a group of boys from the streets of the capital of The Philippines, Manila, who get a chance to change their lives forever. They are offered a one-year stay at a rehabilitation center on an island, far away from the city, which, in comparison to their past lives, is true paradise. Many of the boys have been sexually abused, are addicted to drugs, have been victims of domestic violence and have witnessed killings.
The films’ protagonists are the 13-year-old Justin, who more than anything else wishes to be a lady boy and the silent 15-year-old Pablo, who has forgotten how to smile. The film follows the boys’ development and attempts to escape their pasts, and investigates if it’s possible to change life paths, which are already on the wrong track.
“A Year of Hope” is a cinematic story, in which the Filipino society also is described. A society where thousands of children from the age of four live alone in the streets, and where every third child becomes sexually abused during their childhood.