A SHORT documentary film on the struggle of Lumad children won the UNICEF Prize at the recently concluded Japan Prize organized by public broadcaster NHK.

The “Bullet-Laced Dreams,” co-directed and co-produced by De La Salle Professorial Lecturer Kristoffer Brugada and film-maker Cha Escala, was honored for being “an excellent work that promotes understanding of the lives of children in difficult situations.”

The short documentary sheds light on the indigenous Mindanao tribe’s plight amid armed conflicts between the government and communist rebels.

It follows 14-year-old Chricelyn Empong and her fellow Lumad children as they escape and are forced to move from one place to another to continue their schooling.

“This recognition is not just for the indigenous people in the Philippines, but in the whole world, whose struggles and challenges are rarely shown on mainstream media,” Brugada said in his acceptance speech.

“This film is our way of giving them the platform to speak about their struggles and show their courage in facing everything that threatens their rights as humans,” he added.

Established in 1965, the Japan Prize is an international contest dedicated solely to educational content.

The contest accepts “educational media of all types, including TV programs, websites, games, and cross-media projects” and aims “to improve the quality of educational contents and thereby to contribute to a better future for people around the world.”