On November 8, 2013, Nick and Chai lost their four children to Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines. Four months later, they are attempting to build a meaningful life from what is left. We first observe the superficial cheer with which the couple pass their day, with Chai joking about how she’s no longer a mother. Now that they are childless, they are putting all their energy into the reconstruction of a devastated society, helping to set up and implement programs for cultivating vegetables. Little by little, as we follow their daily routines and hear brief comments in voice-over, we gradually come to understand exactly what happened on that fateful day and just how great the impact has been on the couple. What’s keeping them going is the memory of their selfless love for their children and the firm belief that they will one day be reunited. And they also have their profound feelings for one another, which seem to have been strengthened by their shared and insurmountable loss. They eat together, visit one of their children’s graves to mark her birthday, work in the field, share their experiences with other victims, look at photos and watch videos of the children on their phones, all the while praying that they die together so they can once again be a “happy family forever.”

Both Cha Escala and Wena Sanchez are graduates of the University of the Philippines Film Institute. Cha Escala has been making short observational documentaries since 2007. She also works as an editor and cinematographer for film and TV documentaries. Her film Intoy’s Christmas (2009) won many local awards including Best Documentary at the Catholic Mass Media Awards. Wena Sanchez is the writer/producer of Hiraya Pictures, a video company she co-founded with Cha. She has directed short films including one that was a finalist at a local advocacy film festival. Nick and Chai is their first full-length documentary.