Un Pueblo Desconocido
(2017-2018)
Producer, Director, Videographer, and Editor
In the winter of 2018, I traveled south to the lands of my ancestors—Zaragoza de la Luz, Puebla, México. I lived in México for two months with three of my grand-uncles and immediately became intrigued by their narratives. They told me about the history of our pueblo and their experiences as they witnessed many traditional practices dwindle in their own community.
I made this film to honor the stories that my grandfather and his brothers have told me about their beloved hometown.
Un Pueblo Desconocido translates to “An Unfamiliar Town.” This 30-minute film documents the history of my family’s hometown. It remembers the stories of strong-willed individuals who fought to keep their lands and people safe. It tells the story of self-attributed responsibilities that naturally unfold when the sense of belonging to a place, or even the memory of a place, develops. It commemorates the pueblos that have become unfamiliar to its own natives because of the many practices and traditions that have been lost to years of physical, economic, and social barriers
Oh Life!
(2020-2021)
Producer, Director, Videographer, and Editor
Oh Life! was born from a year-long fellowship with Bronx Documentary Center in 2020-2021.
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Young immigrants often struggle with internal and external pressures of having to fit in when they first arrive in the United States, while also trying to remain true to their heritage.
Through portraits and archival material, Oh Life! will introduce a Filipino-American family living in the Bronx: Ashley, the eldest of two daughters, Guillen, the youngest daughter, and Cres, their mother. Using verité footage and audio interviews, the audience will follow the Ceralde family’s everyday routine in their Bronx home. Based on separate conversations with Guillen, Ashley, and Cres, this film will interweave their perspectives on living in a new country, balancing their Filipino and American identities, and their decisions to stay or to leave their home.
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Currently, Oh Life! remains in post-production.