If you’re looking for something different this Valentine’s, you need not look far. Opening tomorrow at the Robinson’s Galleria Mall’s Indiecine is Selda, a Filipino indie film by Paolo Villaluna and Ellen Ramos.

True to form to their themes of love and its different vagaries, filmmakers Paolo Villaluna and Ellen Ramos follow up their highly-acclaimed debut film ILUSYON (Rated A 2005, Cinemanila IFF 2006, Pusan IFF 2006) with the tragic tale of 3 characters in Selda. The film stars Sid Lucero, Emilio Garcia and Ara Mina. Also starring are Michael de Mesa, Allan Paule, Soliman Cruz and Ping Medina.

Set in two contrasting enivronments that undeline the same premise of imprisonment, Selda tells the story of Rommel, a young man who accidentally kills a boy, resulting in his incarceration. Inside the jail, he befriends another inmate, Esteban, who becomes his rock and protector. Seven years later, Rommel is living in the province as a farmer together with Sita his wife. Esteban tracks down Rommel in hopes of renewing a brewing love affair. Rommel and Sita welcome Esteban into their lives, until their intimacy crosses borderlines and results in the undeniable scourge of self-discovery.

Selda is a return to classiscist forms and delivers a stylish, deliberately-paced treatise on love. At moments strange, Selda is a sublime and disquieting portrait of a young man whose search for happiness, innocence and true love is laden with guilt and doubt.

Source: Selda Trailer at Youtube.com ^[1]