A silent film, which explores the delicate line among the stillness between breaths, the deliberate weight of unspoken grief, and the unsettling beauty of obsession, has been officially selected to the LAGIM! Benilde Film Horror Festival, which runs from October 28 to 29.
Co-written by De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde student filmmaker Paul Venj Coralde with fellow Benilde frosh Nicolo Jacinto and co-produced by ATBP Pelikula, Agaw-Dilim Projects, and Chikamalaya Studios, “Pomegranate” frames devotion not as a gentle sanctuary, but as something raw, visceral, and inherently dangerous.
The story follows a bride, brought to life by executive producer and actor Rhed Bustamante, as she stumbles upon a solitary pomegranate in an open field on the eve of her wedding.
The fruit quickly morphs from an innocent discovery into a vessel of haunting recollection. As sweet memories of tenderness with her past lover, played by Samuel Dias, clash against startling visions of violence, the boundary between affection and grief begins to dissolve.
Consuming a pomegranate requires a choice between prying open its rind seed by seed with tender care or tearing through its flesh with unbridled urgency. Either way, the red juice spills over fingers, leaving permanent stains long after the fruit is gone.
“To me, this is much like love. Something always remains, whether it is a memory, a wound, or a version of ourselves we can no longer return to. Like the stains of a pomegranate, love leaves traces of itself long after the experience has ended,” Coralde shared.
The young director weaves this exact metaphor into the fabric of the film. By stripping away spoken dialogue, the film invites the audience into an open dialogue with their own pasts. The absence of vocal commentary forces viewers to navigate the narrative through visual poetry and internal resonance.
“Love itself is horror,” he explained in his director’s statement, framing the act of giving oneself over to another as an inherently risky sacrifice. By the time the past fully converges with the woman’s present, her desperate attempt to preserve her connection leads to a quiet, horrifying act that ensures her lover remains closer than anyone ever should.
For genre enthusiasts seeking an atmospheric experience that lingers long after the credits roll, “Pomegranate” offers a poignant exploration of intimacy and terror.
The film is set to be featured in Set A of LAGIM! BenildeFilm Horror Festival on October 28, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., at the Benilde Film Screening Room, 12th floor Design and Arts Campus.
“Pomegranate” will also be shown as part of the Cinemint Film Festival 2026 Inter-University Category on Oct. 24, at Archive Haus, Pasig City.
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