From the Mountains to the Sea: Telling Authentic Stories with Seth Andrew Blanca and Handiong Kapuno
From the Mountains to the Sea: Telling Authentic Stories with Seth Andrew Blanca and Handiong Kapuno
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Forrest Gump once said: Short film programs are like a box of chocolates—you never know what you’re gonna get. Indeed, the element of surprise is what always makes me eager to see them out, especially at festivals. Who knows, you might discover the next icon of cinema. And I think the Cinemalaya shorts are a good place to start.
For the Pulutan podcast, I spoke with two filmmakers about their short films at the Cinemalaya Film Festival. First, Iloilo-based filmmaker Seth Andrew Blanca dives into his psychological drama, Kung Tugnaw ang Kaidalman Sang Lawod (Cold as the Oceans Runs Deep). It follows a seafarer who descends into despair caused by debt and ethical dilemmas at work. Blanca, who is a seaman by profession, shared with me the unconventional circumstances of making his film, which include shooting aboard a moving ship. “May story na ko and yung ginawa ko na lang is nag-video gamit ang phone ko all throughout ng contract ko and cinompile ko ‘yun to make a film,” Blanca tells me on the podcast. (I already had a story, so I filmed throughout my contract and compiled the footage to make a film)
Kung Tugnaw is not only dark thematically, but also literally: dim cabins and hallways, shadowed faces and bodies, and an unsettling static noise in the background throughout. But despite the gloominess of the film, Blanca tells me after recording that the atmosphere on set was anything but and that he and his seamen colleagues were constantly laughing in between scenes. And ultimately, he hopes that his film would bring more attention to the harsh realities they face in the profession.
From the raging seas, we head to the stolid mountains of the Cordilleras. In Figat (Tomorrow), a young Kalinga girl breaks free from the lure of technology and honors her ancestors by bringing a handmade musical instrument to class. Handiong Kapuno, writer and director, among many roles, drew from his own experiences of growing up with indigenous instruments. “Tinuturo sa akin ng papa ko at mga uncle ko yung mga musical instrument ng Kalinga and talagang vinalue ko sila,” he tells me on the podcast. (My father and uncles would teach me about the musical instruments of Kalinga, and I truly valued them)
Aeoli Siagan, who plays the lead Ching-ay, carried and suffused the film with her natural charm, infectious energy, and surprising precociousness, especially coming from a non-actor. Siagan is also Kapuno’s cousin, and family played a significant role in making Figat. Even behind the scenes, Kapuno collaborated with relatives in bringing the film to life despite the limited resources. “Parang naging family project siya (It became like a family project),” he says. Now with a Best Screenplay win at Cinemalaya, that family reunion is going to be even sweeter.
Though Blanca and Kapuno’s respective films vastly differ in tone, theme, and setting, where they intersect is the authenticity in how they helm these stories that are near and personal to make them identifiable and universal. You can hear more of my conversations with Seth Andrew Blanca and Handiong Kapuno on the Pulutan podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts.
Kung Tugnaw ang Kaidalman Sang Lawod and Figat were official entries to the 2025 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival. The festival was held from Oct. 3 to 12.
