Kalaw opens with Monik (Japo Parcero), who is deep in thought and troubled. And you realize that she has just arrived in a disconcerting place.
Monik's lone welcoming party arrives, an ebullient, carefree Bagyo (Alchris Galura), who seems to be oblivious of her unquiet mind.
And we are brought back to the past, to the duo's childhood, to the source of Monik's unrest, then back to the present, then to the past again. And as the story unravels, we ask, with bated breath, what exactly had transpired in Monik's childhood?
And when your question is finally answered, it hits you with a blow. And you feel highly uncomfortable. Disturbed.
Immy Rempis' 16-minute drama on sexual awakening and self-forgiveness is effectively shocking, which is clearly the aim of the film. The dialogue and the English subtitles, though, feel awkward, and Galura's performance seems forced and self-conscious (his prolonged laughter was difficult to watch for its unnaturalness).
But the flaws are minor compared to the strengths of the film.
The shift between the past and the present heightens the sense of dread and drama, and the contrasting beauty of the location and its dark secrets evoke a surreal kind of nightmare. The visuals and story are cohesive, the cinematography expressive and poetic, making Kalaw one of this year's unforgettable New Wave shorts.
NEW WAVE - METRO MANILA FILM FESTIVAL
Dec 17 to 24, 2014
SM Megamall and Glorietta
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