A new documentary in the works!
First Fight | 初戰
Logline: A tiny shelter for migrant domestic workers in crisis empowers leaders in a global migrant movement.
Hello everyone!
I’m in the process of making a new film! It’s called First Fight, and it’s about a tiny 1,000 square foot shelter for migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong and the outsized impact it has in shaping the global fight for migrants’ rights. The shelter is called Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge, and it provides free food and a place to live for migrant domestic workers who are too sick to work, waiting for court cases to be resolved, or escaping from abusive employers.
In my first documentary Migrant Women Rise, I focused on the specifics of migrant activism among Filipino domestic workers in Hong Kong. In this second film, I follow the same observational filmmaking approach which allows me to show the intimate details of the characters’ lives, while also platforming their voices and perspectives. This film also expands its scope to focus on migrant advocates within and beyond Hong Kong – including both Indonesians and Filipinos at various stages in their trajectories of leading social change.
Check out the early concept video for the film below:
To help move the project forward, I’ve been working with a great team of cultural workers, researchers, migrant leaders, and service providers who are deeply integrated with the migrant community. With their support, I started filming in late 2023 and have been able to strengthen my connections with the migrants and other solidarity networks.
I’m also excited to share that our project has been shortlisted to win a grant through the Eye Catcher Global International Pitching Forum - a filmmaking initiative and network here in Hong Kong! We will be pitching our film to an international jury of filmmakers this Friday, June 21. You can learn more about the film’s details on the Eye Catcher Global website: https://www.eye-catcher-images.com/first-fight/.
I’ll keep you updated on how the pitching process goes. We’re hopeful that the project will be well received and gain new partnerships and support to help the film reach its full potential. Regardless of what happens, we’re excited to share more about the film with a new audience and for the opportunity to raise the profile of migrant issues in Hong Kong and beyond! Thanks again for following along and being a big source of support and encouragement from the very beginning!
Francis Catedral is a Filipino American documentary filmmaker and Masters of Divinity graduate. His documentary projects are about the transnational activism of migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong and beyond.