Tumatawa Umiiyak

Laughing & Crying

Written and Directed by Che Tagyamon | 8 mins


In an attempt to pick and gather the most number of flowers
for his class homework, a young boy and his grandfather
explore their city by foot only to discover spaces and boundaries
where the likes of them are not welcome.

One of the Best Filipino Films of 2023, CNN Philippines

“For exploring themes of grief and urbaninsm through the point of view of a child’s voice -- the multi-media short evokes much nostaliga in tis unique and personal visual language.”

-Special Jury Prize, Qcinema 2023

The visual and emotional acuity of Che Tagyamon’s Tumatawa, Umiiyak is confirmed by its title, so simple yet sharp. That tug of war between what we allow to see and choose to ignore. What begins as an innocent recounting of a beautiful afternoon between a child and his grandfather in their old neighborhood superbly rolls into issues far more urgent than the sentimental and personal — how neoliberal urban development encroaches spaces and erodes, block by block, the very lives who shape the city, how human rights are often dwarfed by legality and lack of access to information, and how forced displacement is ultimately a matter of capitalist greed.

- Rappler