š§ Plot Summary:
Salisihan is directed by Iar Arondaing. Salisihan is a bold Filipino drama that scratches the delicate surface of a marriage: peopleās pasts, their unresolved issues, and the complication that ensues when a stranger enters the coupleās life.
We are introduced to a middle-aged married couple, Anna and Dan, who have spent years in the attempt of conceiving a child. Their monotonous life which is peaceful yet emotionally draining turns upside down when Sophie, a young pregnant woman, appears at their door claiming to be the girlfriend of Gab, who is the estranged son of Dan from his previous marriage.
The arrival of Sophie brings with itself a deep rooted amok of emotional triggers. Anna, a woman still struggling with the pain of being childless, now has a young expectant mother living with her. For the meanwhile, Dan has already been pulled out of his past mistakes and now gets forced to deal with the subtle cracks in the marriage that is his life.
With the couple now maneuvering through a thick forest of jealousy, desire that has been bottled up, and relentless manipulation, Salisihan slowly begins its transformation into a domestic thriller. What starts off as an act of polite magnanimity turns into a fight for power engulfing self-determination, truth, and raw emotional survival.
š Casting & Roles:
Zsara Tiblani as Anna: A woman whose steadfast demeanor begins to crack as she yearns for motherhood.
Chester Grecia as Dan: A man attempting to flee from his past only for it to walk back in through the front door.
Amabella De Leon as Sophie: Vulnerable and strangely enigmatic, she serves as the catalyst for the family’s emotional unwinding.
Ralph Engle as Gab: Dan’s son, barely present yet dominating the family’s dynamic.
š¬ Directorial Approach & Film Style:
Iar Arondaing focuses on emotional tension through minimalism. His use of a constricted setting ā primarily the coupleās home ā reflects the building pressure within the characters.
As the saying goes, silence is golden. With a careful gaze, each glance provides a pause that accumulates unexpressed emotions, revealing suppressed tension. The silence captured through naturalistic performances and limited speech makes the drama feel personal, tangible, and at times, distressing.
š§ Concepts & Meaning:
Emotional Infidelity: The film’s examination of emotional unfaithfulness is through secrecy and avoidance instead of affairs and relationships.
The Burden of Motherhood: Anna’s anguish due to infertility and Sophieās unanticipated pregnancy coexist, wounding her reflection on identity and womanhood.
Redemption vs. Regret: Dan finds himself torn between moving ahead in life and confronting what he deeply desires to avoid.
Domestic Space as Prison: The home transforms from a warm sanctuary into a prison of suffocating control where jealousy fester and tension grow unspoken.
šļø Reception:
Salisihan broke headlines in 2024 for its unique subject matter and treatment, gaining traction on a Filipino streaming service. Although just shy of 48 minutes, the filmās emotional weight is felt long after viewing.
Some respondents appreciated the narrative on relationships and infidelities, while others viewed it as trauma deeply embedded into the fabric of oneās everyday life. Its thoughtful pacing and multi-faceted characters mark it as an understated yet striking offering in contemporary Filipino cinema.
š Movie Information:
Title: Salisihan Director: Iar Arondaing Runtime: 48 minutes Genre: Drama, Romance Language: Filipino Country: Philippines Year: 2024 Rating: R-18 (for mature themes and adult content)
ā Why You Should Watch It:
Salisihan features unsettling tenderness intertwined with trust, love, and the passage of time, making it ideal for viewers intrigued by the psychological complexities of relationships and the nuanced dynamics of marriage and parenthood.
This is not only about betrayal; this is also what happens when love starts to feel like duty, and when affection morphs into dominance.