HASANG

HASANG
(GILLS)
by Daniel de la Cruz

16 MINUTES | Absurdist

CAST
Igan James Nualda

PRODUCTION
DIRECTOR/SCREENPLAY/EDITOR/EXECUTIVE PRODUCER/PRODUCER – Daniel de la Cruz
SCREENPLAY – Patricia Daniela Ibardaloza
CINEMATOGRAPHER – Christian Selerio, Elmer Gatoc
PRODUCTION DESIGN – Lynden John Tajolosa, Janine Gepayo, Rosiel Joy Genilan, Shekainah Lozarita, Louise Jane Gelvero, Bea Anica Selerio
ORIGINAL MUSIC SCORE – Koji Tapispisan
SOUND DESIGN – Marie Claire Go
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER – Hon. Jennifer Colada
PRODUCER – Skim Guevarra
OTHERS – Lerry Jean Gerasmo, Crystal Marie Gayas, Stephen Gelano, Ria Momblan, Ofelia Gempeson, Anjo Salmorin

LOGLINE
One summer, a young boy witnesses his grandmother slowly transforming into a tilapia.

SYNOPSIS
Boni lives in a rural community, steeped in indigenous belief that the deceased are believed to transform into animals after death and return to the wilderness. One summer, he is entrusted with caring for his grandmother, only to witness her slowly transforming into a tilapia. Conflicted by love, fear, and helplessness, he must navigate his grief and the spiritual significance of her transformation. Boni faces a challenging journey of letting go and embracing the mystical truths while discovering the interconnectedness of all beings in their slowly deteriorating world.

FILMMAKER’S PROFILE

An independent filmmaker from Western Visayas, DANIEL DE LA CRUZ is a broadcasting graduate from West Visayas State University. With a deep appreciation for the region’s rich culture, he uses film to tell stories rooted in the communities around him. Through his work, he hopes to give voice to regional stories in Philippine cinema. He simply dreams of telling stories that reflect the lives of the people he calls home, hoping that somewhere, someone will feel seen and heard, too.

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT

When I was a child, I didn’t know the language for loss, but now, this film is my response. I grew up in a rural Philippine village once surrounded with trees and rivers. These weren’t just part of the landscape; they held memory and spirit. Over time, the world around me distorted — the trees fell, the rivers dried, and our traditions slowly began to disappear. Rooted in Indigenous belief, where the dead return to nature, our film HASANG (gills) follows Boni as he witnesses his grandmother’s surreal transformation. Through his grief, Boni learns to embrace death not as absence, but as return, a cycle of the natural world. The concept of our distorting world felt distant when I was a child, but now, this film is my response. Hasang is a prayer for what’s disappearing. A love letter to the forests, beliefs, and kinships that once sustained us. When we return to the wilderness, may something remain. A forest. A river. A story.