No labels, just love
In Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot,” no one shows up. In “Only We Know,” someone finally does—and he looks a lot like Dingdong Dantes.
The slow-burn romance, written and directed by Irene Villamor, pairs Dantes with Charo Santos-Concio in an unexpectedly tender story about love, grief, and second chances. It’s a film where not much happens—and that’s exactly the point.
Beckett’s landmark play quietly shapes this new romantic drama about Betty, a retired literature teacher, and Ryan, a widowed structural engineer. Villamor said “Godot” became a thematic backbone—especially with Betty referencing literary figures to explain how she sees the world.
“We looked into Hemingway, even Filipino authors,” Villamor told Lifestyle in a recent interview. “But the story led us to Beckett—because this is, at its core, also a story about waiting.”
In Beckett’s play, two men wait by a tree for someone who never arrives. In Villamor’s film, the waiting is internal—healing, connection, clarity. Like Beckett’s characters, Betty and Ryan are caught in emotional limbo. They’re not even sure what they’re hoping for but they’re still hoping.
“This film is more experiential than cerebral, not just for the audience but for the actors, too,” said Villamor. “We shot the film almost chronologically—13 days, no rehearsals. That limitation became a gift.”
Connection
“The actors built their connection in real time. I rewrote lines based on how they delivered them. That slow unfolding mirrored Ryan opening up to Betty,” said Villamor.
“Betty—she’s smart, confident, an English major. She knows things. Aside from the age gap and life experience, she’s separated from her husband. Ryan, meanwhile, is single because he lost his wife. That contrast, that emotional baggage, shaped the way they connected.”
Villamor said she leaned into the “Godot” analogy while writing. “We’re all waiting—for things to pass, for grief to lift. This movie tells you, ‘Wait. Just wait.’”
She knows the film’s theme is uncommon, but she believes audiences are ready. “After the pandemic, age, or timelines don’t matter as much. People are more open to love stories like this.”
Ahead of the nationwide release on June 11, the film’s producers—Cornerstone Studios, Agosto Dos Pictures, and ABS-CBN Film Production—organized two special screenings at the Sine Pop in Quezon City for select audiences, including filmmakers, producers, and creative writing students. Lifestyle was lucky to attend the second one, held on Wednesday night.
Emotional reaction
Villamor said she was surprised by the emotional reaction from the first group. “We were encouraged. They cried—even in scenes I didn’t expect. It made them think about their own lives. They said they wanted to go home and make memories with their loved ones. Suddenly, it became a personal thing. They told us the film felt real.”
The film took seven years to finish. Dantes was the first to be offered a drama project with Santos-Concio, and he asked that Villamor direct. She pitched a different concept they both liked. Over the years, the script evolved. “When the pandemic happened, our perspectives changed. So many realizations. The story got distilled to its essence,” Villamor said.
At a recent poster reveal at TriNoma cinemas, Santos-Concio was asked to describe the movie. She said, “What’s beautiful is that when you watch it, it will resonate with you—as a woman, as someone who has fallen in love, or is in love … ”
“Or is waiting for love,” Dantes added.
Santos-Concio nodded. “A lot of women who’ve seen it say they wish to be like Betty—to also find their Ryan.”
The poster features a still from the film. “We didn’t need a separate photo shoot,” she explained. “From a producer’s perspective, this scene already captured what the movie is about. It’s a story about love without labels. We like to put things in boxes. We stereotype. But here, it’s just two people meeting and following what they feel.”
As for how they broke the ice, Dantes said the seven-year journey—from concept and character-building to shooting—gave them plenty of bonding time. “That’s what I appreciate. More than the shoot itself, it’s the process of becoming Ryan and Betty that I’ll never forget.”
He laughed recalling their first day on set. “It was the shower scene. I was fixing the shower.”
Santos-Concio quickly corrected him: “No, our first scene was in the grocery. No lines. We were just trying to feel each other.”
“This experience is once-in-a-lifetime. I can’t believe it finally happened,” Dantes continued. “To work with Ma’am Charo was just on my wishlist. And it’s once-in-a-lifetime because the timing was perfect. Direk Irene guided us all the way.”
Santos-Concio agreed. “Sometimes in life, you get this perfect mix—right timing, right elements. The stars align, so to speak. I never thought I’d be doing a story about love and romance at this stage in my life—and with Dingdong, no less. That wasn’t even in my consciousness. But it came. It’s a story about waiting, too. It actually pays to wait.”
