“MAHAL” is inspired by my parents and the stories they told me about how they met in the Philippines. I am a Filipino American student filmmaker and I’ve loved cameras ever since I was a baby, running around with a little camera everywhere I went. My parents were the original storytellers in my life and this project is a surprise gift to them. Directing and creating this project is a way for me to express how grateful I am for their hard work and everything they have done for my family. It’s a way for me to celebrate my culture and to bring Filipino representation to the industry, which is something I always wanted to see more of as I grew up. 

This film is a way for me to connect to my parents, my identity, and my community. I was born in America, I’ve never been able to go to the Philippines, so my idea of my homeland is from my parents. I’ve felt stuck between identities, seen as too American or too Filipino, so creating this film that is so intertwined with my culture and my family is my way to accept my identity. The visual inspiration behind this film is inspired by old filipino romances, which include colorful images and close up shots. 

A lot of my previous shorts have been inspired by my own emotions and my own experience, so I wanted to take a step out of my comfort zone and imagine a different experience. The story of how my parents met was one they told throughout my childhood and I wanted to take what I heard from that to create how I imagine their love story went down. 

This project contributes to the further development of my career and experience, because there have been so many moving parts to this project. “MAHAL” is a narrative short film that follows a married Filipino couple telling their young daughter how they fell in love in two versions. The first version is spectacular, action-packed, and clearly exaggerated to entertain a young child. The second version is sweet, slow, steady, and honest. It’s the kind of story that they tell their kid once they are a little older. There is so much variety in this story and a handful of people involved that I’m learning how to effectively work with the community.