WARNING:

This review contains spoilers for the Cinemalaya 2020 Main Competition Shorts Entry “Tokwifi”. Read at your own risk.

REVIEWER’S RATING: 9/10

SYNOPSIS: A 1950s mestiza star, trapped inside a television that fell from the sky – dreams up a romantic romp with a Bontok Igorot man who does not know how to kiss.

The film is set in the beautiful fields and mountains which are home to the Igorot Tribe. The opening scene tells us a fact, according to a book written by Dr. Albert Jenks in 1905, that the Igorot do not kiss, nor have any other physical expression to show their feelings.

The main character, Limmayug, introduced in the first few seconds of the film. He is being teased by his friends because of his “affectionate” way of courting women in the tribe — which is, as mentioned above, is unusual to them. This already sets Limmayug apart from the tribe.

The scene now cuts to an elder man telling a story of the Tokwifi; a star that once resided in the sky and fell down to their place. Limmayug, on the other hand, just saw a ball of fire fall down, which turned out to be an old television set with a beautiful woman trapped inside it.

He then rescues the television set, or the woman rather, and tries to communicate with her. Despite social status differences, language barriers, and the fact that the mestiza star Laura is stuck inside the television; the two form an unorthodox bond that will change both their lives.

Tokwofi is a very heartfelt and light romantic film. Its storytelling is simple, and without those cliché, dramatic scenes from the usual Filipino movies, watching this film is very refreshing.

Actors Kurt Lumbag Alalag and Adrienne Vergara formed chemistry in the film that is hard to deny, even with their characters’ differences. Simple and straightforward acting by Alalag and Vergara’s expressive motions and dialogues was tastefully done.

Tokwofi is our version of a fairytale story, telling us that love, no matter how strange or different, can be found and treasured for a lifetime.