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"The Debut" Debuts in NYC
A few years ago I had a rare opportunity to work on a special film called "The Debut," a coming-of-age story about a Filipino family living and learning in the U.S. “The Debut” is a full-length 35mm film, directed by Gene Cajayon, a Filipino-American director from the Los Angeles area. The story is based on the real-life issues experienced by many Fil-Am youth, learning how to balance their all-American daily lives with the Filipino-centric family customs that await them at home. This movie stars the most talented cast of Filipino-American characters ever assembled for a feature film: Dante Basco (from the Stephen Spielberg movie 'Hook'), and huge Manila-based stars like Gina Alajar, Eddie Garcia, and Tirso Cruz. The film boasts a very colorful cast of characters that portray a few of the many personalities in our own communities: moms and dads who work the daily (or sometimes nightly) grind, living their childhood dreams through their children; the lolo who comes to visit from the Philippines; the eccentric auntie who has recently dyed her hair a new shade of orange, but makes the best leche flan around. But the most essential character portrayed is Ben Mercado (played by Dante Basco) and the many issues he faces growing up in two cultures simultaneously. On the outside, Ben is a typical high-school kid--loves basketball, hanging with they guys, and dating the “popular” girl in school. But coming home to a house that permanently smells like fried fish is downright embarrassing! Furthermore, his dreams of going to art school are quickly dashed by a very conservative father, who will never approve of a career in drawing “stupid cartoons.” This is how Ben views his Filipino culture, until the one night changes his world forever. When I first got a hold of this script, I was so excited to finally read something so utterly sympathetic to my experiences growing up as a Filipino-American. It used to be that, the only way we could see ourselves on screen was by getting a membership to the local video/sari-sari store, to see our favorite Manila stars like Aga Mulach, Gabby Concepcion, and Lea Salonga set the standard for Filipino movies as a genre. What we haven't seen enough of, until recently, is an abundance of films featuring Filipinos portraying the Filipino-American experience, portraying themselves. Being a part of this movie was one of the most influential experiences of my career -- an opportunity to combine two loves in life: my love for movies and my love for being Filipino. Each day spent during the making of "Debut" demonstrated the largest collaborative effort by the community: filmmakers, actors, musicians, dancers, and others, coming together for sometimes 16 hours a day to breathe life and authenticity into this story. When all is said and done, nothing can compare to the thrill of sitting in a sold-out show at the local Cineplex, watching this movie among 200 of your Filipino peers! Despite the difficult journey from script to screen, recent years have seen a surge of feature films produced by Filipino-American filmmakers. By supporting their continued efforts, we can establish a new genre of movies that give our community the kind of “limelight” it so deserves! “The Debut" opens in theatres throughout the New York City area beginning Friday, October 18th. For more information, you can visit their website at www.debutfilm.com, or call Moviefone (212.777.FILM) for theatres, tickets, and showtimes.
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