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In this Sine Kabataan short film finalist, rising actor Louise Abuel plays a teenager who must choose between staying silent or speaking out after a grim discovery in his family’s laundromat
MANILA, Philippines — Since his breakout role as the titular Edward at Cinemalaya 2019 — which earned him Best Actor at the Dhaka International Film Festival and nominations from Gawad Urian and FAP Awards — Louise Abuel has carved a place for himself on television with roles in Incognito, It’s Okay to Not to Be Okay, and The Iron Heart.
Having firmly planted his roots in mainstream TV, the actor pivots back to the independent scene which first nurtured his craft.
At 21, Abuel makes his first venture into short films with City’s Laundry & Taxes, a staunchly political work crafted by a fresh wave of creatives.
The project stands as one among 10 selected features for the 8th Sine Kabataan Film Lab and Festival, the Film Development Council of the Philippines’ annual short film competition and lab for emerging Filipino filmmakers.
Billed as both a crime drama and coming-of-age narrative, Abuel assumes the role of Miko, a teenager who helps his mother run their small laundromat. His mundane routine unravels when he uncovers the school ID of a missing classmate hidden among a police officer’s used clothes.
Over the course of its 15-minute runtime, City’s Laundry & Taxes traces how this revelation pushes Miko to confront silence, injustice, and the cost of action over complicity.
Abuel shares the screen with veteran actress Mylene Dizon (Karla), indie stalwarts Grace Schuke (Teacher), and Clifford Gonzales (Chief Sarrono), and newcomer Arabella Arcega, who portrays Miko’s former writing partner, Gwen.
The short film is the latest directorial effort from Laguna-born Diana Galang, a former student journalist who graduated from De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde; its production is led by UP Film Institute student Earvic Noay.
The young director’s reportorial experience grounds the film in themes of youth resistance and the power of speaking out against systemic violence.
“I’ve always found words — in any medium — hold immense power to change how we feel, how we perceive the world, and ultimately, how we act,” Galang said in a media statement.
Galang, whose previous short Classroom 2022 won Best Picture and Fan Favorite at the IKLI: Super Short Film Festival, stated that City’s Laundry & Taxes stemmed from her own haunting thoughts about police brutality.
“It led me to write a film reflecting fear, of uncertainty, and the burden of knowing. But more importantly, it is about the quiet strength of choosing to act despite it,” shared Galang.
“I believe that there is no better time to tell this story than now, when many still fail to realize that silence holds as much power as words — but only when it is finally broken.”
As a finalist for the Sine Kabataan Film Lab and Festival, City’s Laundry & Taxes is slated for a public premiere in September 2025 during the Philippine Film Industry Month. – Angela Divina/Rappler.com
Angela Divina is a Rappler intern studying Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at the Ateneo de Manila University.
