TIRIK (TO SET UPRIGHT)

TIRIK (TO SET UPRIGHT)

by May-i Guia Padilla

91:00 minutes | Thriller, Drama | PG | Strong Language, Violence

CAST

Rocco Nacino, Floyd Tena, Chai Fonacier, Jess Mendoza, Glenn Sevilla Mas, Justin Mclaire, Brian Arda, Hershey Neri, Bor Ocampo, Hope Summer Skye

PRODUCTION

DIRECTOR – May-i Guia Padilla

SCREENPLAY – May-i Guia Padilla, Charlson Ong

EDITOR – May-i Guia Padilla

CINEMATOGRAPHER – Miggy Hilario

PRODUCTION DESIGNER – Raffy Romero

ORIGINAL MUSICAL SCORE – Roy Ibay

SOUND DESIGNER – Elian Idioma

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS – Rafa Laperal, Ferdinand Naniong, Aris Batuhan, Roy Ibay, Tzaddi Tamondong, Carmelo Bayarcal, Ara Padilla

PRODUCERS – Mai Fanglayan; Charlson Ong; May-i Guia Padilla

LOGLINE

Paring Bert, a priest, and Santos, a parishioner and a taxi driver, go on a gritty journey to make peace with their moral conflicts while eluding an assassination attempt.

SYNOPSIS

Set against the backdrop of Manila’s unforgiving streets during the height of the drug war, Tirik follows Paring Bert, a weary but steadfast priest, and Santos, a rugged taxi driver haunted by his past. Their unexpected journey begins as an act of faith and compassion – an ordinary funeral visit that turns into a day-long odyssey through guilt, redemption, and moral reckoning. As the two men traverse urban chaos and rural silence, they confront the fragile lines between sin and salvation, justice and vengeance. What starts as a road trip becomes a confessional of conscience, where each kilometer peels back their buried truths and tests the limits of their faith in God and in each other. Through moments of grim humor, humanity, and quiet dread, Tirik asks: how far will a man go to make peace with himself – and at what cost to set things upright?

FILMMAKER’S PROFILE

MAY-I GUIA PADILLA

May-i Guia Padilla has spent the last two decades working across art, media, and education – moving through different cultures, industries, and people in ways that have shaped how she sees and tells stories. Above all else, though, she thinks of herself as a visual communicator. Directing a narrative feature for the first time was something that she had been working toward for years. She has made shorts, documentaries, animated pieces, and advertising work along the way, but there’s something different about carrying a story – and a team’s shared vision – from the first idea all the way through to a finished film. Tirik is that film for me.

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT

“The Golden Rule is the principle of treating others as one would want to be treated by them.”

I’ve always believed that the kindest person you’ll ever meet is a priest regardless of religion. While the story focuses on a Catholic priest with his parishioner, one might ask: why are priests so kind and patient? My primary interest in making this film is to convey how a priest might use “positive resistance,” or weaponizing kindness, in all kinds of situations.

I first learned about “positive resistance” from Machiavellian principles, and it has been my mantra ever since. One of those principles stated that leaders (a priest, for example) should mask their true intentions – this is where you can weaponize kindness to get to what you desire in the end. Is that statement too extreme? I hope so, as this is how I want my audience to feel at the climax of the film. Kindness is a choice – but I’m no saint. I’ve learned that kindness poured into the wrong hands doesn’t warm anyone. It just runs out. As the saying goes, “Don’t kill people with kindness, because not everyone deserves your kindness.”

As a storyteller for the screen, I’d like my version of the film to be visually consistent in terms of time, rhythm, and movement. The story, which takes place inside a vehicle going to places that might seem familiar, is conversational and dialog-heavy. The feel of the film will be akin to an odd couple going on a road trip, a buddy movie with a 1980s texture. In terms of vibe and treatment, my inspiration is High and Low (1963) by Akira Kurosawa, Collateral (2004) by Michael Mann, Burning (2018) by Lee Chang-dong, Memoir of a Murderer (2017) by Won Shin-yeon, and Patay na si Hesus (2016) by Victor Villanueva. All those combined with a slow-burn pace and the actors’ stunning performances aim to move the audience.