Yellow Rose, a film that talks about the painful realities of immigration and our own “tnt” (tago ng tago) culture, recently made a mark at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. Directed by Filipina filmmaker Diane Paragas and featuring Broadway stars Lea Salonga and Eva Noblezada, the film took home two of the festival’s top awards.
It was awarded the Grand Jury Award for outstanding North American narrative feature while Noblezada clinched the breakthrough performance Special Jury Award. Paragas expressed her gratitude for the honor, especially now that stories like these are so important.
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She stated: “Yellow Rose has taken over 15 years to make and it couldn’t come at a more important time when anti-immigrant sentiment is at an all-time high. This is a story for everyone facing challenges in finding their voice, their dreams and, more importantly, their home.”
Yellow Rose‘s synopsis reads:
Rose, an undocumented 17 year old Filipina, dreams of one day leaving her small Texas town to pursue her country music dreams. Her world is shattered when her mom suddenly gets picked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Rose, facing this new realty, is forced to flee the scene, leaving behind the only life she knows, and embarks on a journey of self-discovery as she searches for a new home in the honky tonk world of Austin, Texas.
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Other Filipino films which were recognized include Nicanor Evangelista Jr.’s “Journey to Ifugao” (Favorite Documentary) and Andrew Stephen Lee’s “Manila Is Full of Men Named Boy” (Golden Reel Award for Narrative Short Film).
What do you think about this?
