By Heinrich Domingo

A couple confronts issues that have been bugging their relationship while doing their routinary mountain hike. They talk about their failure of not having a child and the consequent cracks this brought in their relationship.

This is a romantic short film that does not need to be cheesy to appeal to the crowd. Director Cheska Salangsang opted to veer away from cliché conversations of sweet couples and instead looked into issues faced by mature lovers. The result was a refreshing take on romance and drama that aims to bring to the frontline seldom discussed topics of relationship frustrations and disappointments.

Despite choosing to discuss mature topics that might turn off teenage viewers, Saan Man Ngunit Dito made sure that its storyline is still relatable. Through the good performance of the main cast, characters in the story established empathy from the audience.

The film’s story could just be like any other romance tale if not because of its ending. A revelation at the last part of the film made the viewers look back into the conversation of the couple differently. With this technique, the short movie became more appreciated.

Directed by: Cheska Salangsang
CineFilipino 2016 Short film competition