Rolando Inocencio

Drawing on silent-film aesthetics from a bygone era, this mesmerizing monochrome short tells a story of forbidden love. A young boy struggles with feeling trapped in his inherited role as his town’s next folk healer—until he meets a Tikbalang, the half-human, half-horse creature of Philippine folklore.

Kara begins experiencing strange things after her son comes home from a school fieldtrip to a forest. His behavior has changes, and he has become menacing and frightening! One day Kara gets a phone call from a boy asking her to rescue him from the forest, claiming to be her son. The encounter in the forest is a harrowing ordeal that leads to a shocking discovery for Kara.