Introduction

After losing his parents, 15-year-old Andy is forced to live with his estranged grandfather, in the cold northern parts of the Philippines. They felt they've lost everything, but on a journey up a mountain, they start to come to terms with their grief.

Synopsis

After his parents die in a flood, 15-year-old Andy is forced to live with his estranged grandfather, in the cold northern parts of the Philippines. Andy becomes withdrawn and isolated there and nobody can get through to him, until one day, the grandfather gets an idea. He shows the boy photos of Andy's parents hiking up a beautiful mountain, and he takes his grandson to this place against his will. Tensions rise on their overnight hike, but through the journey, they start to come to terms with their grief.

◆Director's Message
Above the Clouds is about grieving with death. This film is a personal journey for me. The inspiration began in 2009, when Typhoon Ketsana hit my home city of Manila and killed hundreds of people. Meanwhile, the plot of the film came from the death of my grandmother in 2011. When a loved one dies, we always struggle to keep their memory alive, and this idea was central to make in making this film. Grief comes from the thought that we will never be with our loved ones again, and hope comes from the realization that they live on in our hearts for as long as we preserve their memories. The journey of the film is a journey between these two ideas, and ultimately, being able to rebuild our lives and find hope amidst despair.