By Heinrich Domingo

Women at the eclipse of their lives talk about their remaining years. The recent death of their friend made them realize that dying is inevitable. With them in the conversation is a wise kid who helps them look back at their past, plan their future, and enjoy their present.

Oktopus is an intelligent film that is subtle in its melodrama. Despite discussing themes of death and fading lives, it was able to inject humor to its plot. Through the use of contrasting elements such as young and adult, fun and grouchiness, and living and dying, it was able to emphasize its message.

This short film is a good material to be turned into a full-length feature movie. Its plot contains stories that can be better appreciated when given depth. To achieve the same effect, it can retain its original cast who were all outstanding in their given roles. We have seen Micko Laurente’s outstanding acting in Bambanti, here he has once again proven himself to be one of the best child actors of his time.

With nothing but brilliant story-telling technique and good cast, Oktopus demonstrated that materials can still be effective without grandiose production design. It showed that story is still the king fulfilling CineFilipino’s “Kwento pa rin ang Hari.”

Directed by: Jaime Habac Jr.
CineFilipino 2016 Short film competition