Summer Heat

Huddled together, three sisters-Jesusa, Lourdes, and Grace-tearfully gaze downwards while Lourdes longingly caresses the unseen object of their gaze. Rain fills cracks in the arid soil. Brillante Mendoza's SUMMER HEAT begins with images of the painful sadness of change. What follows are four episodes depicting the troubled lives of these three sisters. Daughters of struggling woodcarver and widower, Mang Rudy, they unite at Grace's wedding for a joyous occasion tinged with problems in the untitled first episode. Marrying the wealthier Conrad, Grace faces criticism from his haughty mother and sisters before and after the ceremony. Meanwhile, Lourdes scurries around running errands while waiting for her exasperating husband, Andy, to arrive. And to Mang Rudy's dismay, Jesusa has dressed in traditional male attire and brought her girlfriend, Weng, to the wedding. Each of these tensions escalates in the subsequent three episodes, entitled Wind (about Grace), Fire (about Lourdes), and Water (about Jesusa). Employing brilliant cinematography and an evocative score against the stunning landscape of rural Guagua, Mendoza considers which of these elements, if any, can withstand the oftentimes cruel summer heat. (In Filipino, Tagalog, and English with English subtitles) – E.J.B.