Fandor | Coming Soon | Updated 6/27/2025

Love and Videotapes (2023)

Film Details

Director: Ryan Machado

Writer: Ryan Machado

Cast: Shun Mark Gomez (Andoy), Bon Andrew Lentejas (Pido), Serena Magiliw (Ariel), Cedrick Juan (Isidro), Jay Gonzaga, Charliene Bae Evangelio

Country: Philippines

Language: Filipino and Onhan with English subtitles

Runtime: 97 minutes

Genre: Queer coming-of-age, drama, magic realism

Year: 2023 (Festival run 2024)

Overview

A nostalgic and offbeat exploration of intimacy, memory, and analog media, Love and Videotapes unspools the story of two teenagers who bond over lost home movies and the secrets they reveal. It’s a tender and clever meditation on connection in the digital age, told through the flicker of VHS static and the emotional pull of pre-digital media.

Festival Circuit & Awards

• World Premiere: Berlinale Generation 14Plus
• Official Selections: Queer East London, Festival Mix México, Pink Apple, Stockholm Junior IFF, and more
• Awards at Cinemalaya: Best Director (Ryan Machado), Best Supporting Actor (Bon Andrew Lentejas)

Plot Summary

Set in the summer of 2001 in the province of Romblon, 16-year-old Andoy lives under the care of his aunt and strict uncle, while his mother works overseas and his father is absent. His closest confidant is Pido, a fellow movie lover. Together, they escape the pressures of home through VHS rentals and community movie nights.

As the summer unfolds, Andoy meets two queer figures—Ariel, a vibrant gender-bending hairdresser, and Isidro, a quiet newcomer—who become catalysts for his emotional and sexual awakening. His world of fantasy and cinema blends into reality, reshaping how he sees family, love, and himself.

Style and Themes

• Visuals: Warm, nostalgic cinematography that evokes early 2000s provincial life in the Philippines.
• Magic Realism: Blends dreams, longing, and reality into cinematic interludes that reveal inner emotions.
• Analog Nostalgia: VHS is used as a metaphor for memory, desire, and connection before the digital era.
• Queer Coming-of-Age: A nuanced, quiet portrayal of adolescent queer identity and first love.

Critical Reception

Critics praised the film for its dreamy quality and emotional depth. A Hot Set noted the way reality and fantasy “blur together casually,” while Pluto Film described it as “a sensitive LGBT+ film and a beautifully given end of an era.” Though some reviews noted TV-like pacing, the overall response celebrates its atmosphere and sincerity.

Why It Matters

Love and Videotapes is not just a story about growing up—it’s a love letter to analog culture, queer identity, and the emotional clarity of memory. By focusing on a small-town boy’s awakening through cinema, it reminds us of the power of film to shape how we understand the world and ourselves.