The best kind of drama for director Cholo Laurel

A family drama filled with painful memories and conflicts may seem like a story built solely on heavy emotions, but director Cholo H. Laurel believes that humor is what makes heartbreak more powerful.

“For drama to be effective as a tool, it has to be funny,” Laurel said as he discussed his latest film, Netflix Philippines’ Ganito, Ganyan, Ganoon, which explores the complicated dynamics of a Filipino family forced to confront the wounds of the past.

The film, which marks Laurel’s return to filmmaking after a 10-year hiatus, follows a family reunion unlike any other as estranged members come face-to-face with years of pain, resentment and questions left unanswered.

Starring Jodi Sta. Maria as Jo and Agot Isidro as Paz, Ganito, Ganyan, Ganoon centers on the return of a mother whose absence has deeply affected her daughter and the rest of the family. Their reunion becomes an opportunity to revisit old wounds and examine what it truly means to heal.

For Laurel, however, Ganito, Ganyan, Ganoon is not a story that dictates how its characters — or audiences — should feel. Instead, it presents the realities of relationships and allows viewers to form their own conclusions.

“It requires only that you talk, that you expose the wounds, that you open them and expose them to the air so that you can start healing,” Laurel said.

“It will not prescribe you to forgive. It will not prescribe you that this is good, that is bad. It just tells you, ‘This is the Filipino family. These are what relationships are like. You decide.’”

Laurel further explained that the film aims to capture the contradictions found in real families, where moments of laughter can exist alongside pain and conflict.

The project became a personal journey for Laurel and the entire creative team, with much of the film shot in Marinduque, including scenes filmed at his own home, Balai La-hi. He shared that returning to filmmaking was made possible after finding the right opportunity with Netflix.

Beyond forgiveness, Ganito, Ganyan, Ganoon also explores the idea that people are shaped by their own experiences, choices and circumstances.

“Walang absolute na tama, walang absolute na mali (There is nothing absolutely right, nothing absolutely wrong). There is good, there is bad, and there is real. And then you piece together why this is happening. Lahat tayo may pinanggagalingan, lahat tayo ay tao lamang (We all come from somewhere; we are all only human),” Laurel said.

Ganito, Ganyan, Ganoon invites audiences to reflect on their own relationships, the wounds they carry and the possibility of finding their way back home.

It is now streaming on Netflix.