by Heinrich Domingo

The Wawa Dam witnesses the struggle of a family  succumbed by misery in the death of their father. Their wails are silenced by the murmur of prayers.

In the absence of cries and screams of a usual bereaved Filipino family, Wawa showcases the most genuine of emotions. It reveals the rawest and most vulnerable aspect of those who are left behind.

The director decides to encapsulate the essence of melancholy through looking at the quintessence of separation, departure, and coping. In a sense, the film becomes a metaphor to represent not just the act of death but also heartbreaks and falling apart. With this, Wawa is commendable.

Moreover, the film decides to let grief speak for itself. It allows the audience to feel the pain and be lost on the flow of sadness (as represented by Wawa Dam’s flow). The repeated prayers deliver the viewers into a trance which symbolizes how losing a loved one brings people into the abyss of despair and depression.

This short film questions the mainstream definition of grieving and the consequent process of moving on. It does not only show misery rather it allows the viewers to feel and experience its pain.

Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

 

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