Thrown into the pawnship slavery to pay the debt of her poor parents is Sonia (Jhassy Busran), a 14-year-old girl full of dreams from a fishing village, a community where pawning their children is the norm. Forced into labor for a sum their parents get is an abuse the kids need to face every day.

Her baptism of fire begins when she is brought to a bread factory. Along with other children, they witness the acts of abuse by their employer, Mang Rey (Soliman Cruz).

After ten months of servitude, they could finally get back home. Shock and dismay welcome her back as she learns that her father had died. This forces her mother to pawn her again as payment for her father’s funeral expenses.

Like the rest of the child-laborers from the Bread Factory, all homeless and in debt once more, a question awaits to be answered:

When will this cycle of debt bondage end?

To Sonia, is a bright future even possible? How will she deal with her fate?

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PUGON (The Furnace) is a narrative statement short film directed by Gabby Ramos and stars Andrea Del Rosario, Soliman Cruz, Jhassy Busran, Cassie Kim, Sahararei Paynor “Bamboo” Bobadilla, Edmond Santiago, Carmen Del Rosario and Sheena Lee Palad

PUGON is part of Cinemalaya 2021's IndieNation exhibition that will be streamed on KTX.ph from Aug.6 to Sept.5, 2021.