Liza Diño and Ais Seguerra’s “Funeral Flowers” takes place entirely inside the chapel during the four-day wake of beloved civil servant and notorious womanizer Manuel Santos, with his daughter Maya leading the funeral preparations as lovers arrive, brothers clash, and political guests take over the space with towering wreaths.
Produced by Chrisma Fajardo through Fire & Ice Media, the Philippine production marks the feature directorial debut for Diño and Seguerra. The drama, shot in English and Filipino, is one of 17 projects in development selected for the 24th Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum.
The real-time story centers around Maya, his daughter with his legal wife. Her private grief is overshadowed in public as the wake becomes an explosive reunion.
“This story comes from a very personal place. I grew up around Philippine politics and saw firsthand how sad it is when powerful people die,” Diño said. “Public stories quickly turn them into monuments of heroes, visionaries, and patriots. But within families, the stories are often much more complex.”
Digno further added, “‘Funeral Flowers’ began as my way of examining that contradiction. What happens when a man beloved by his people was also a very imperfect father? What happens when those who carry his name must grieve him together, even though they weren’t actually part of the same family?”
Co-director Seguerra emphasized the intimate nature of the project. “What attracted me to this project was how intimate this story is, despite its political context. At its heart, the film is about children trying to understand the parents who shaped their lives but were never fully theirs.”
Diño explained the film’s central question. “The film asks a simple but uncomfortable question: Who has the right to mourn someone? When a public figure dies, grieving becomes almost ritualistic. It is done according to ritual. Speeches are made, wreaths arrive from politicians, cameras appear. But in the middle of the spectacle are people who are grieving privately and sometimes ambiguously.
“Through Maya, the eldest daughter, who tries to take control of the funeral arrangements, we explore how grief can coexist with resentment, longing, and unconsummated love,” the director said. “Ultimately, this movie is about a daughter who realizes she has no control over her father’s legacy, but she can decide how she carries on her legacy.”
Producer Fajardo explained his reasons for supporting this project. “What immediately attracted me to this project was how personal the story is. It explores a political family from the inside, but it doesn’t sensationalize its world. Instead, it focuses on the relationships within the family as they gather during the wake.”
“From a production perspective, the single-site structure is also very attractive,” says Fajardo. “This allows the audience to stay inside the chapel and experience the emotional tension unfolding in real time.”
Mr. Fajardo outlined HAF’s goals. “At this stage, we are primarily looking for co-production partners and financiers interested in supporting Southeast Asian stories with strong festival potential.”
The producer said, “The short film version of “Funeral Flowers” has also been completed and we plan to submit it to international festivals and development labs, but we will continue to screen the feature film at project markets such as HKIFF to increase momentum and support for the feature film.”
Mr. Diño previously served as chairman of the Philippine Film Development Council. Seguerra is an award-winning Filipino musician, actor, and director with a career spanning over 30 years. Fajardo’s achievements include “The Hearing,” which was performed in Busan in 2023, and “Gensan Punch,” which won the Kim Ji-seok Award in Busan in 2021.
The project is seeking funding, co-creators and pre-sales at HAF, which will be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center from March 17th to 19th.
