Cinemalaya: Tirik

Set against the backdrop of Manila’s unforgiving streets during the height of the

drug war, Tirik follows Paring Bert, a weary but steadfast priest, and Santos, a rugged taxi driver

haunted by his past. Their unexpected journey begins as an act of faith and compassion – an

ordinary funeral visit that turns into a day-long odyssey through guilt, redemption, and moral

reckoning. As the two men traverse urban chaos and rural silence, they confront the fragile lines

between sin and salvation, justice and vengeance. What starts as a road trip becomes a

confessional of conscience, where each kilometer peels back their buried truths and tests the

limits of their faith in God and in each other. Through moments of grim humor, humanity, and

quiet dread, Tirik asks: how far will a man go to make peace with himself – and at what cost to

set things upright?