These 5 local shorts explore the multiple meanings of home (2024)

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• FEATURED, Scoutmag,

• May 25, 2020
• 10:00 am

There’s no one way to define “home.” If anything, our concept of home is juxtaposed with our growth—all the good and the bad. It has become more than a physical entity or a property we own. Addresses and phone numbers are just tips of the iceberg, and sometimes the most familiar place doesn’t mean it’s the safest.

They say home is where the heart is, so maybe it could be anywhere. We try to explore the multiple meanings of “home”—whether it’s a feeling, event or another physical entity but an actual house—straight from our homegrown films.

“Baguio Address No. 10”
Dir. Mervine Aquino

What does a “dream house” look like? A true to life account, “Baguio Address No. 10” wistfully tells the experiences of the filmmaker’s family: hopping from one house to another in the sought-after lands of the city. Through old photos, home videos and candid sound bites, this Gawad Urian-nominated short cleverly walks us through the creators’ history of packing and unpacking—plunging us into both suffocation and catharsis in 15 minutes.

Refer to this catalog by Lockdown Cinema Club to stream the film.

“Bahay-Bahayan”
Dir. Brian Reyes

A girl who dreams to become a mother suddenly finds a baby at her doorstep. Hammered with innocence and honesty, “Bahay-Bahayan” tells how one day can change a kid’s perception about life—while letting us decipher what being at home means for us.

Stream it on Viddsee.

“Aliens Ata”
Dir. Glenn Barit

To say that Glenn Barit is a promising filmmaker is an understatement. This “Cleaners” director breaks cinema’s boundaries in “Aliens Ata”—a 2017 drama short shot entirely with a drone. Large, sunny fields suddenly become the home of two brothers dealing with their father’s passing. Meanwhile, the sky becomes a communication portal to their mother from miles away.

Stream it on Viddsee.

“Maria”
Dir. JP Habac

A bittersweet dramedy film, “Maria” welcomes us to the house of an extraordinary Filipino family. As they aggressively confront their 14-year-old sibling’s probable pregnancy, their 50-year-old mother gives birth to another baby—adding one more to their massive family tree. If you find yourself cry-laughing at the end, don’t wonder.

Refer to this catalog by Lockdown Cinema Club to stream the film.

“Anamamana”
Dir. Christine dela Paz

Packed with poignant animation and vivid details, “Anamamana” dissects a mother-and-daughter relationship. Given their contrasting personalities, how will they survive being under one roof? (Or will they, even?) In between silences, we decide whether or not staying at home makes or breaks them. The walking on eggshells feeling is here—no heavy dialogue needed.

Refer to this catalog by Lockdown Cinema Club to stream the film.

Art by Tine Paz Yap