STORY
In a Manila tenement, Adong (21), shaken by the death of his mother Tess (44), consumes her black chick, granting him the mystical abilities of his mother.
But when the city’s funeral homes refuse service, tainted by rumors that Tess was a witch, Adong resolves to burn his mother’s decomposing body himself.
With the help of his macho, sexist uncle Ikoy (48) and his persecuted friend looking for an escape, Lukas (21), Adong’s quest to burn his mother soon becomes a confrontation with the city’s masculinity.
As his mother reveals long-buried truths, blurring the lines of the physical and spiritual world, Adong is faced with deciding, once and for all, what type of sha-man he will choose to become.
In this atmospheric yet eccentric short, Adong navigates grief and gender expectations through a fantastic journey of fiery remembrance.
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