Baro't Saya't Iba Pa (2022)

• 75%
• 2022
• Animation
• Karen Franceska E. Peters

Mari is a folk dancer beloved for her charm and talent. At her side is her costume designer Jo, a dressmaker who helps Mari look her best before every one of her shows. On the surface, the two seem to be male and female co-workers that might have a little more going on. Behind the closed doors of their hiding place-- the theater's sewing room-- is where they find their solace. Hidden from prying eyes, however brief, Jo is free to be a woman with Mari as her lover. When Jo is almost caught wearing the dress she and Mari made together, Mari drifts apart from Jo. This rift in their relationship deepens when Jo is finally seen wearing her dress by the other dancers in the theater. In her lover's moment of need, Mari finds herself too afraid to stand up for Jo. Jo decides to leave the theater behind, but is stopped by Mari. She asks for Jo to give her another chance-- an opportunity to start over. Sadly, Jo rejects her. She finally leaves and steps into the light, leaving Mari behind.