- A look at child prostitution in Manila.
- The film Lilet Never Happened is a character driven story about Lilet, a maladjusted Philippine street-girl, who becomes Manila's most famous child prostitute. International social worker Claire desperately tries to safe Lilet from the sex industry but she falls again and again. Though Lilet gets many opportunities to quit, she stubbornly chooses the hard way.—Anonymous
- A character driven story about a 13 year old Philippine-American girl struggling to survive in the streets of Manila spirals down into prostitution. Social worker, Claire, tries to save her but this hard headed girl thinks she can handle the world with her wits.—Anonymous
- Lilet, a scrawny female teenager walks down the street in a seedy part of the red-light district of Manila. The young vagrants on the street call her Snow White because she is fair-skinned, being the daughter of an American and a Filipina. Lilet lives on the street because her mother was trying to sell her. Suddenly, police patrol cars screech to a halt as cops swoop down and nab the street vagrants, among them Lilet who viciously resist arrest, cursing, kicking and clawing. In the police station Lilet appears hardened by misery and poverty. She is an angry, bitter young girl. But if she wants to, she can look innocent and angelic.
Dutch social worker and owner of a drop-in center, Claire, notices Snow White and wants to help her. Although Lilet doesn´t need her pity, Claire visits lilet´s mother, Rosing an ex-prostitute and stepfather Tonyo, in the slum quarters. She finds out Lilet is only twelve. Shortly after Lilet is reunited with her parents, the girl is able to escape and visits Claire at the drop-in center. She gets to meet Nonoy (15) who is the oldest male child in the center. They immediately like each other. Lilet tells exaggerated fantasy stories to the other kids, showing them a picture of her father who is an actor. Lilet stays in the drop-in center until her mother finds her and takes her away. Claire can´t stop her and Lilet feels betrayed.
Lilet escapes again from her mother and visits a nightclub where Tessie, Lilet´s older sister is working. Mama Curing, a huge woman who owns the club, does not miss the fact that Lilet is beautiful but under-aged and makes her a busgirl (the girl who collects the glasses). Tessie assures Lilet that their mother cannot touch them here. Lilet easily gets drawn to one of the older girls, Alice, whom the others fondly call crazy. Alice is kooky.
Soon Snow White is very popular among the customers. Mama Curing is happy to see how customers calling Lilet and flirting with her. Alice is protecting Lilet but an American tourist is obsessed to have Lilet and is willing to pay fifteen thousand pesos for her virginity. Lilet feels forced to go with him. Later that night Mama Curing is scolding Lilet who staggers to the bathroom, vomiting, drunk. The American man has asked for a refund of the money because Lilet was not a virgin. Tessie is shocked and knows, Lilet has been sexually abused by their stepfather.
Lilet keeps visiting the center of Claire and often meets Foreign guests. She becomes the best promotion for the center, speaking English so well. Claire is happy to see Lilet but also notices her changes. Lilet never tells the truth and has a bad influence on the other kids. Claire still believes Lilet has to be treated like any child, and should feel welcome in the drop-in center.
Another crowded night at the club. Lilet looks tired. She is so popular that she is doing more customers in one night. At once, cops between drawn pistols storm into the club, announcing a raid. Some girls manage to escape, among them are Lilet and Alice. Lilet notices Claire conferring with the cops and furiously she goes to the drop-in center spoiling for a confrontation with Claire. She angrily blames her for destroying the lives of the people working in the nightclub. Claire did it only to rescue her, but Lilet refuses to listen to Claire's reasons and promises.
Alice and Lilet take to the streets, hanging around in street corners for customers. A former customer of Lilet walks up to them and wants Lilet. The young girl declines and passes him to Alice. Alice walks with the man to a nearby walk-in motel. Lilet takes a walk and bumps into Nonoy who has returned to the streets as a snatcher. He is happy to see Lilet and wants her to go away with him to a place faraway. Suddenly they notice a crowd milling outside the walk-in motel where Alice went in. Lilet gets the shock of her life when she sees the body is Alice. She rushes to Alices body, tries to revive her, kisses her on the mouth. But her friend is already dead. Lilet breaks down.
Lilet and Nonoy return to the club but it remains padlocked. Lilet breaks the wooden door and looks for the letter Alice once wrote for her daughter. Lilet finds the Snow White dress Alice made her. A dirty cop approaches her when she leaves the club. She doesnt resist arrest but the policeman forces her into sex. In the act a police car shows up and Lilet, with all her anger, stabs the cop.
Claire finds Lilet in the police station, completely upset and broken down. Lilet is taken for observation to a mental hospital and Claire becomes a frequent visitor. But when Lilet hears Nonoy outside she escapes and together they disappear into the jungle called Manila.
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