Silig

The most narratively straightforward of the 2024 shorts in the Directors’ Factory at the Cannes Film Festival, Silig is also the pick of the bunch. Mamang (Sylvia Sanchez) hasn’t been home for two decades so her old flame Sabina (Lav Diaz regular Angel Aquino) barely recognises her at first.

Mamang has returned for a reason, however, and it’s something she hopes Sabina - who works at a funeral home - can help with. Although Silig is, on the face of it, concerned with saying goodbye, the film by Filipino director Arvin Belarmino and Cambodian filmmaker Lomorpich Rithy - aka YoKi - is as much about embracing life as it is leaving it.

There’s a spark between the women from the start with acting veterans Sanchez and Aquino allowing plenty of chemistry to flare between the curmudgeonly Mamang and the more softly spoken Sabina. A trip to the fairground gives cinematographer Mackie Galvez a chance to catch the warmth and energy of the place, as we jump on a swing ride with them and follow them on a mission to a haunted house.

Although there’s plenty of drama, especially considering the length, Belarmino and Rithy wisely also find time to develop the characters so that the focus falls on Silig’s vibrant emotional core. Belarmino is having a busy week at Cannes, with his short Radikals also playing in Critics’ Week. This film also bodes well for YoKi’s upcoming feature, Romdoul, The Evening Fragrance, which also involves a reunion after many years.