Salisihan is a Filipino short film that probes grief, longing, betrayal, and the hazy line between right and wrong. The story circles Anna and Dan, a married pair worn down by infertility and the heartbreak of a lost pregnancy. Though they still care deeply, each shared glance reveals how hope deferred has hollowed the space between them.
Then Sophie, a young woman nearing term, appears on their doorstep. She is linked to Dan through Gab, his estranged son, yet Gabs absence leaves all three strangers unsure of their own roles. Sophies bloom announces possibility, yet every rounded movement of her belly reminds the couple of dreams that slipped away.
As days pass, emotional fences sag under pressure. Anna, wary at first, finds herself defending and then nurturing Sophie. Dan, by contrast, cannot hide his physical attention, a spark that lights up the room yet leaves shadows in the corners. Their conversations, sometimes playful and at other moments charged, strip away pretense. Sophie seems to tease both Anna and Dan-not out of malice, yet not quite resisting the pull-and the resulting triangulation tightens to a suspenseful knot that the film slowly, deliberately unravels.
The films impact grows out of subdued, rising tension rather than loud showy scenes. Characters sidestep direct clashes, yet the room crackles with hidden wants and bottled-up anger. Once it surfaces that Sophies child might tie back to Dans history, deep fissures appear in Annas and Dans union. The closing moments pull viewers toward unease, forcing them to ponder how far forgiveness stretches, how brittle desire can be, and what surprises follow when feelings are laid bare.
🎭 Cast & Crew
Zsara Laxamana as Anna-a grieving wife, balancing moral clarity with longing she will not voice.
Chester Grecia as Dan-a husband caught between obligation, allure, and a fatherhood he never claimed.
Amabella De Leon as Sophie-a pregnant stranger whose mere presence pushes her hosts emotional and physical limits.
Ralph Engle as Gab-the absent son, whose unseen influence still dominates the storys direction.
Written and Directed by: Iar Arondaing
Produced by: Vivamax
Genre: Drama / Romance
Runtime: 48 minutes
Rating: R-18
Language: Filipino (Tagalog)
Country of Origin: Philippines
🎬 Direction & Style
Iar Arondaing directs with calm restraint and a minimalist touch. Most scenes unfold in a single house, wrapping the characters in a space that feels both familiar and stifling. Tight close-ups fix the audience on their faces, revealing silent battles that words cannot express.
A muted palette of grays, beiges and soft, diffused light matches the films mournful mood. Scenes linger longer than usual, allowing viewers to carry the heaviness from moment to moment. Music appears only when needed; sometimes the loudest sound is the quiet between lines.
⭐ Themes & Interpretation
- Infertility and Grief
Anna and Dan’s deepest wound is their empty cradle; each failed attempt haunts them. Sophi’s visible pregnancy turns her from sympathetic friend into an echo of their loss and, unwittingly, an emotional rival.
- Temptation and Betrayal
Sophie steps into the story as both healer and agent of harm. Dan is drawn to her, risking betrayal of Anna, yet Anna also turns toward Sophie, deepening the mess. The film shows how raw hurt invites easy slippage into moral shortcuts. - Emotional Isolation
Each character carries a private brand of loneliness. Anna feels left behind, Dan feels stripped of purpose and distant from the man he once was, and Sophie confronts empty rooms and an unclear future. Their shared isolation sparks the storys hardest choices. - Ambiguity and Consequence
True to life, the film stops short of tidy endings. Secrets surface and passions flare, yet what happens next never fully fills the frame. Will Anna and Dan find their way back? What road awaits Sophie? The project leaves viewers pondering fallout rather than handing neat answers.
🎟️ Audience & Reception
When it landed on Vivamax in February 2024, Salisihan stirred talk with its daring subject and spare style. Some fans praised its mature dive into tangled emotions; others dismissed it as slow or too understated.
Zsara Laxamana drew acclaim for her layered portrayal of a woman quietly coming undone. Amabella De Leon, as Sophie, infused the screen with a tense gentleness that mixed youthful innocence with subtle allure.
Although Salisihan wont satisfy viewers craving loud conflict or high-stakes action, it earns respect for confronting thorny emotional issues in a grounded, human manner.
Feature Details
Title Salisihan
Release Date February 27, 2024
Runtime 48 minutes
Genre Drama / Romance
Director Iar Arondaing
Producer Vivamax
Language Filipino (Tagalog)
Main Cast Zsara Laxamana, Chester Grecia, Amabella De Leon, Ralph Engle
Rating R-18 (Mature audiences)
Final Thoughts
Salisihan is a contemplative, emotionally charged short film that shows how opening up can lead to both healing and hurt. Though the premise hints at titillation, the work is far more inward-looking. It asks how basic needs-grief, desire, yearning for closeness-can cloud judgment and test moral boundaries without resorting to scandal.
The film’s title, which can be read as either “intrusion” or “breaching a boundary,” neatly conveys its core question: what unfolds when an unexpected person steps into your ordered world and disturbs the equilibrium you have fought to sustain?
Clearly, this is not a picture destined to please every audience. Its deliberate rhythm, stripped-down aesthetic, and open-ended conclusion are likely to exasperate anyone awaiting a conventional romance or tidy drama. Yet for spectators prepared to lean into its muted tension and richly drawn characters, Salisihan provides a concise, haunting meditation on human vulnerability.
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