Cheerful and ever-spirited, Lola Odesa never forgets to jot down even the smallest details of her day. But in the silence between her words, a question lingers — what is she truly trying to hold on to?
That’s the heart of “Dear Tala, Love, Lola Odesa,” a Navoteño short film that has been selected for The Second Spring program under the Cinemata Community Curators Programme, featuring an international screening and dialogue session on October 11, 2026, in Jakarta, Indonesia.
A story about memory and love
Co-directed by Rachelle Magalona, an FEU Communication Arts (Digital Cinema) alumna, alongside 18-year-old Navoteño filmmaker Clarence Barruga, the film stars Gemma Masas as Lola Odesa, with Nathania Ical and Rona Blancaflor as Tala. It bridges generational perspectives to tackle memory, love, and the fragile quiet of holding onto what is slipping away.
Lola Odesa moves through life with a light heart and a small notebook always in hand. To anyone else, her daily scribbles might seem trivial — errands, names, fleeting thoughts. But hidden in the rhythm of her routine lies something deeper. As her diary quietly expands, a quiet tension hums beneath the surface: Is she documenting life… or holding onto something slowly slipping away?
From Navotas to the international stage
The film was previously a finalist in the 7th Navoteño Film Festival, screened on the Cinemata website, and showcased in FDCP JuanFlix and the UP Piling Obrang Vidyo Student Film Festival. Curated by Indonesian curator Raslene, The Second Spring uses public-facing formats including community screenings, watch parties, and open dialogues to foster international discussion and situate regional Asian films within specific social and cultural contexts.
Representing local Navoteño talent on an international stage, the film is a milestone for the team at Pelikulaya productions and for grassroots Filipino cinema.
