Makahiya — Jaclyn Reyes

Makahiya (2017)
STOP-MOTION ANIMATION, HAND-DRAWN ILLUSTRATONS, DIGITAL COMPOSITING

Makahiya is a stop-motion animation film that brings to life the sensitive movements of the “shy plant,” known in the Philippines as makahiya—a plant that folds inward upon touch. Animated from hand-drawn illustrations and visually inspired by Southeast Asian batik textiles, the film transforms decorative pattern into kinetic storytelling. As delicate dots and lines ripple across the frame, they leap off their ornamental backdrops to gently trigger the makahiya's movement, creating a domino-like cascade of unfolding responses.

Scientifically known as Mimosa pudica, the makahiya is a creeping perennial herb native to South and Central America but widely naturalized in Southeast Asia. Its name—pudica, meaning “shy” or “bashful” in Latin—reflects its rapid leaf-folding response to touch, a defense mechanism known as thigmonasty. This reaction is triggered by changes in cell turgor pressure and serves to deter herbivores and protect the plant from harm. In Philippine culture, makahiya has long been associated with modesty, sensitivity, and the unseen resilience of nature.

By merging botanical responsiveness with the geometries of batik, Makahiya draws attention to the intricate relationships between science, symbolism, and ancestral ways of seeing. The film invites viewers to witness a choreography of vulnerability and interdependence, where even the smallest gesture sets a larger pattern in motion.