‘2 Valid IDs’ heads to Argentina’s Mar del Plata festival

What happens when a person needs identification to get an ID but has no ID to begin with?

That frustrating question sits at the heart of 2 Valid IDs, the Filipino drama set to make its South American premiere at the 41st Mar del Plata International Film Festival in Argentina.

The film will compete in the festival’s International Feature Film Competition, which runs from 5 to 15 November. Directed by Ma-an Asuncion-Dagñalan, 2 Valid IDs joins 13 other films from around the world, including new works by filmmakers Danny Boyle, Miwa Nishikawa and Simon Stone.

At its center is Sylvia, a struggling farmer whose problems begin with what should have been a simple transaction. She needs to collect money sent by a relative — funds that could help pay for her husband Ramon’s treatment for severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. But the remittance center requires two government-issued IDs. Sylvia does not have even one.

It is a situation that may sound absurd, but one that speaks to a larger reality for many Filipinos trying to navigate systems that are often difficult to access in the first place.

“It’s only in the Philippines that we are asked to show 2 valid IDs to get another ID,” Asuncion-Dagñalan said. “What happens to those who don’t have any? What happens to the people trapped in a chaotic and inhumane system?”

The director said the film looks beyond paperwork and procedures to examine how poverty and rigid systems can stand between people and the help they urgently need.

Pokwang takes on a dramatic role

Marietta “Pokwang” Subong stars as Sylvia in a dramatic turn that follows her Best Actress win at Cinemalaya 2026. She is joined by Joey Marquez, Meryll Soriano and Zaijian Jaranilla.

The screenplay was written by award-winning screenwriter Abet Pagdagdagan Raz, while the production brings together a roster of Filipino creatives, including cinematographer Neil Daza, production designer Mao Fadul, editor Vanessa Ubas-De Leon and sound designer Jannina Mikaela Minglanilla. Mikey Amistoso and Jazz Nicolas composed the film’s score.

The project was backed by executive producers Geo Lomuntad, Claudia Diaz Cojuangco, Ben Tsai, HJ Li, Paolo Fernandez, Mitch Fernandez, Jim Baltazar and Lydia Gapas.

For Asuncion-Dagñalan, whose previous film Blue Room earned recognition both locally and abroad, bringing 2 Valid IDs to an international audience gives a distinctly Filipino story a much wider stage.

The details may be rooted in the country’s bureaucracy, but the film’s bigger question is one that travels easily: What happens when a system asks for proof before it is willing to offer help?