Nestle Celebrates its 100 Years Through a Short Film Anthology

In celebration of it’s 100 years of giving us Good Food for Good Life, Nestle Philippines gives us a short film anthology that would surely entice our hearts. Kasambuhay Habambuhay is an anthology of ten ten-minute films of a wide variety that offers us stories of how life truly is. From a traditional drama to a Shakespearean parody to a mock-umentary, Kasambuhay Habambuhay tells us what imagination, friendship and love is.

Here are the short films featured on Kasambuhay Habambuhay:

The Howl & the Fussyket (directed by Chris Martinez. Starring: Eugene Domingo, Dennis Padilla, Kiray Celis and Timothy Chan)

“8 year old Aaron is a dead set on winning the Grand Prize in his 2nd Grade declamation contest. He is determined tow in despite his obvious “f” and “p” speech defect, a proclivity common amaongst some Filipinos to interchange the pronounciation of English words with the letters “f” and “p”. His Mother takes an active albeit humorous role in preparing him for the competiton. This is a story of perseverance, family unity and the real meaning of triumph and possible the “Rocky” of all declamation contests

Unplugged (directed by Raul Jorolan. Starring: Marvin Agustin, Eddie Garcia, Kaye Abad)

“A football coacht akes his team of teenage boys out on a fieldtrip to the provincial home of his grandfather. But instead of bonding as a team, the boys are more caught up with their gadgets. The coach’s grandfather is determined to change all that as he challenges the boys to detach from their virtual distractions and explore the great outdoors instead. The boys then unlock a new world of natural wonder and discovery, realizing that going offline is the only way to reconnect back to life. A life that is….unplugged.’

Silup (directed by Jun Reyes. Starring Sid Lucero, Gloria Romero)

” Silpu is Pulis spelled backwards. We peek into the life of a Manila cop whose day is made up of dealing with denizens and the crimes they commit. At work, he may be all tough and stern but at home, we see his more sensitive side. He has this mysterious routine of taking out a can of strerilized milk from a cupboard and depositing his revolver in its place. Later on, it is revealed why he makes the switch and symbolizes how it is like to live by his duty as a policeman to serve and protect.”

Isang Tasang Pangarap (directed by Sid Maderazo. Starring: Ramon Bautista)

“In a small town devastated by calamity and chaos, Elias, still holds on to the one thing he considers sacred- a shiny red coffee mug. For him, this mug not only symbolizes his love for coffee but his hope for a better life. After an enlightening encounter with a strange sari-sari store owner, he suddenly gifted with the ability to tell the future. Soon enough, he is proclaimed “The Coffee Psychic” and personifies hope for the townsfolk. But can hope truly spring eternal in this comedic homage to the award-winning epic Filipino film “Himala”

Sali-Salita (directed by AF Benaza. Starring: Migs Cuaderno, Judy Chua, Bodjie Pascua)

” A mother who writes children’s storybooks, ironically, doesn’t have enough time to create stories for her own son. The restless child finds a chance to create his own stories when his grandfather comes up with a game. They fill an old milk can with pieces of paper, each containing a word which will be a ‘story-starter’. Tales of heroes and villains, magic and places fill up the child’s imagination. But the child’s made-up story is in need of a happy ending. Now, it depends on the storyteller mother to create the greatest ending of them all.

OH! PA RA SA TA U WA YEAH! (directed by Jeorge Agcaoili. Starring: Neil Coleta, Jillian Ward, Jessica Ferrer)

“The Clemente Family is off to an outing but teenage son, Nicos, seems out of it. Nicos is besotted with his ladylove, Mattina, whom he can’t wuite figure out. The inside info that Nicos gets from mattina’s younger sister, Bettina, doesn’t seem to help.

Seeing his son’s despair, Nicos father finally shares to his son an ancient family heirloom. It is a 100-year old manual containing the secrets, alphabetically arranged, of how men in their clan courted women. Through this, Nicos finally learns what every man should know by heart– the ABC’s of what women truly want.”

Downtown (directed by Stephen Ngo. Starring: Virgilio Que, Sherry Lara)

In a Chinese community in Downtown Manila, we meet a man who has floated through life with his ladylove by his side. But now, times have changed as he begins each day waking up alone on his bed made for two. He realizes that his coffee has its better because at least, it has a creamer to be its mate. In these moments, he misse his beloved the most and decides to get his act together for a second shot at the greatest thing in life- love.”

Tingala sa Baba (directed by Henry Frejas. Starring: Arvy Cesar Viduya, Eubert Marc dela Cruz, Aya Bundang)

“In a typical background, life plays a game of irony when two 9 year old kids are on a seesaw. One is a rather hefty child from a well-to-do family who is stuck at the bottom, whereas a lanky child brought up in poverty is on top. Rich kid is looking up to the poor boy, who in turn, is looking down on him. How will the rich kid reverse his position? The answer to that question will make one realize that friendship is more valuable than money, while the other one would discover his true worth as a friend.’

Cooking Mo, Cooking Ko (directed by Chris Martinez. Starring: Dominic Roco, Ida Nolan, Shamaine Buencamino, Nonie Buencamino, Robert Sena, Isay Alvarez)

” This comedic version of the classic “Romeo and Juliet” narrates two star-crossed lovers born into warring families who each happen to be proud owners of their own carinderias battling for their town’s cuisine supremacy. Old wounds are reopened among the Montano and the Capule families when the former’s loyal customers start patronizing the latter. Young lovers Romina Montano and Julius Capule are caught in this web of intrigue, espionage and extra rice.”

Sign Seeker (directed by: Carlo Directo. Starring: John Lloyd Cruz, Solenn Heusaff)

” A superstitious guy, Bien, seeks all sorts of “divine” signs that will determine his decision of asking the girl of his dreams out on a date. The fear of rejection swallows him whole, making his justify his cause to willfully seek for more unfathomable signs. But when each sign he seeks for materializes, he soon learns that he has to be careful with what he wishes for.”

 

Last Wednesday, I was invited to the advanced screening of this Drama Anthology and all I can say is that the short films made me laugh, cry, smile and smirk. The variety of genres will surely hit every taste and the liberty that the writers and the actors received makes the entire experience worth while. This coming Saturday and Sunday, Kasambuhay Habambuhay will be screened on SM Megamall, SM Southmall and SM Rosales for free.  Kasambuhay Habambuhay is definitely worth watching with our friends and family.