How important is it to come back?
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| (C) Cinemalaya |
When asked about the importance of looking back, Kaka sa Yawan director Alpha Habon brings up the popular adage, “Ang di marunong tumanaw sa nakaraan ay di makakarating sa paroroonan.” According to him, it rings true when confronting our past—as a retrospective way of aligning our motivations for the future.
To heal our inner child? Habon seems to agree as well. “Remembering our childhood and how simple everything was back then does feel therapeutic and healing,” he adds.
In the film, a 21-year-old young man from Manila, returns to Mindoro, the island that once broke him. This unravels the memory of a pivotal summer from his youth: his friendship a playful Mangyan boy with big dreams.
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| (C) Cinemalaya |
Set in Mindoro, the film features the Tadyawan-Mangyan community of Sitio GrandVida. Habon reveals that seeing their way of life and understanding their philosophies inspired him to create this story for them. "Everytime a member of the Tadyawan-Mangyan community becomes a part of the scene and nails their role, it's always memorable for us," he shares.
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| (C) Cinemalaya |
To prepare for the film, Habon watched many works by Hirokazu Kore-eda, inspired by the filmmaker’s delicate handling of deeply introspective human stories. Among local fare, he reveals that Paglipay by dir. Zig Dulay and Tumandok by dir. Richard Salvadico and Arlie Sumagaysay became his guides in handling community stories with sincerity and compassion.
With such themes, there’s no doubt that the people behind the film would have some feelings of reflection as well. "After the routine of our usual projects in the city, making deep, introspective films off-grid like this for a change allows us to reflect on why we choose to be in the creative industry in the first place," Habon admits.
There were even occasional impromptu swims in their filming locations after a shoot or hanging out in the sari-sari store with piso net or simply sleeping together in tents, he recalls. “It feels like a grade school camping or jamboree.”
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| (C) Cinemalaya |
In many ways, the experience of making Kaka sa Yawan seems to mirror the film itself: a return to simpler times, familiar places, and the memories that shape who we become. Kaka Sa Yawan is an official entry to the 2026 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival.
