I’m Francis Catedral, a Filipino American documentary filmmaker and Masters of Divinity (MDiv) graduate living in Hong Kong. For the past 6 years, I’ve been working on documentaries about migrant activists in Hong Kong, and I want to share what I have been seeing and learning in the process. In addition to visual elements and behind the scenes content, I want to share the on-the-ground realities of migrants in Hong Kong and ways you can be involved in the welfare and advocacy work they are doing. While getting my MDiv, I was also learning a lot about theologies of exile and suffering, Asian American and diasporic contexts, and spiritual practices like lament. So I also want to share how these theological discourses interact and intersect with the realities of migration.
My first documentary is called Migrant Women Rise: Stories of Red-tagged Overseas Filipino Workers. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Overseas Filipino Workers in Hong Kong risk their lives and reputations as they speak out against the anti-people policies of the Philippine government. The documentary follows two migrant leaders who are victims of red-tagging under the Duterte Administration as they defend the rights of their fellow migrants, while navigating the challenges of life far from home. You can check out the trailer and get more information about screenings here: migrantwomenrise.com.
I’m currently working on a documentary short film called Rumah Ketigaku and a feature length film-in-progress called First Fight. The films are overlapping projects about a tiny shelter for migrant domestic workers in crisis that empowers leaders in a global migrant movement. You can follow my updates here on substack to see how the films are progressing.
This is Impermanent Residence, my newsletter about the transnational activism of migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong, documentary filmmaking, and theologies of migration, lament, and the Filipino diaspora. If you’re interested in transnational activism, theological reflections on current issues, the process of documentary filmmaking, or just want to know what’s going on with me, subscribe for my updates!
