Oda sa Wala


Oda sa Wala is a 2018 Philippine drama film written, edited, and directed by Dwein Baltazar. Starring Marietta "Pokwang" Subong in a lead role, the story follows Sonya, a woman who lives and works in the funeral parlor she manages with her father. Her quiet, secluded routine is disrupted by the arrival of an unidentified cadaver that remains unclaimed, prompting a series of events that alter her life and emotional state. It co-stars Joonee Gamboa, Lita Loresco, Dido Dela Paz, Anthony Falcon, and Iana Bernardez, who also produced the film.
A co-production of Black Sheep Productions, Epic Media, and Quiapo Collective, with the support of the Quezon City Film Development Commission, the film was theatrically premiered on 23 October 2018, as a part of the QCinema International Film Festival, competing for the "Circle Competition" category. It also won a FAMAS Award from seven nominations, and earned a Gawad Urian nomination for Best Actress.

Production

Filmed in San Miguel, Bulacan, cinematographer Neil Daza briefly considered filming in black-and-white before abandoning the idea in favor of monochromatic color.

Release

Oda sa Wala was released virtually in the Philippines on 23 April 2021 as part of a "Black Pack" that included other Black Sheep releases Motel Acacia, and Death of Nintendo. This indicated the film as a 2021 release on the social cataloging service Letterboxd, where it subsequently placed #2 on their mid-year ranking of the best films of 2021. Its presence on the list alongside another Philippine film, Cleaners, attracted international attention.

Home media

American home-video distribution company Kani Releasing acquired home video distribution rights and released the film in Blu-Ray in March 2022.