The Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) is spotlighting “The Void is Immense in Idle Hours,” a Filipino-Indonesian co-production film about grief and survival, at the Taiwan Creative Content Fest (TCCF) to be held in Taipei from November 4 to 7.
Directed by Sam Manaksa, produced by Chad Cabigon and Carlo Francisco Manatad of Philippines-based NextLives, and co-produced by Yulia Evina Bara of Indonesian production company Kawankawan Media, the project centers on 19-year-old Rosemary, who is the last person to see the boy before his disappearance. Rosemary joins her grieving mother, Agnes, on a search mission, and in her quiet days, she comes face to face with indescribable sadness and forgotten dreams.
The film grew out of Manakusa’s personal exploration of living with everyday grief in a community where people continue to survive even after experiencing deep loss. “It started with sorting out the idea of living with grief every day, in a space where people continue to move and live, even though something in their hearts has already been lost,” Manakusa says.
This story depicts the reality of mothers losing their sons to violence without answers or justice. “I saw in them how pain exists alongside care, how strength and fatigue exist in the same breath,” Manaksa explains. “That intimacy is why I wanted to tell this story: the invisible weight of holding things together, of finding meaning in repetition, of continuing to live even when life feels like it has stopped.”
Manaksa explains that the heart of the film is an exploration of “silent persistence,” the small, unspoken ways people keep going when their grief never ends. “In a society where violence has become the norm, this film asks what kind of life one can lead, and what it means to live anyway,” says the director.
Production is currently in the financing stage and is scheduled to begin preparatory work at the end of 2026. According to producer Snorlax, principal photography is targeted for the second quarter of 2027, with release expected in 2028.
At TCCF, the team is looking for production partners who share our vision of intimate, socially conscious storytelling. “We hope to find strong partnerships with producers, financiers, and co-production partners who share our commitment to telling intimate, socially grounded stories with care,” says Cabigon. “We hope to find people who will shape this film with us, guiding it through its artistic and narrative journey in a safe space while preserving its emotional truth.”
