Part doc, part myth, Ang Ritwal portrays the convergence of folklore, spirituality and basketball in Manila’s slums.

Ang Ritwal follows Jefferson and Patrick over the course of a single day, immersing us in the local streetball scene as they ruminate on neighbourhood pride. But it is against the backdrop of Undas (the All Souls’ celebration when Filipinos visit their ancestral graves), that the film’s themes come into focus. Ang Ritwal is about the power of communal rituals — sacred or profane — and the role they play in creating a sense of identity and belonging for those on society’s fringes.

Told in three parts to reflect the stages of a rite or a ceremony, this film is Alex’s attempt to convey what he witnessed on the basketball court in the cemetery.