Healing The Lingering Wounds Of Immigration

Thea, thank you for speaking with us. Your film is quite intimate to your personal journey. What inspired you to create this film?

Thea Loo, Director, Inay (Mama), Photographed by Brian Van Wyk at the Filmable Portrait Studio

Thea Loo (TL): This story has been floating around me for all my life. It didn't come together as a clear idea until I met my husband Jeremiah Reyes in 2018. His immigration story and struggle with mental health closely echoed that of my best friend Shirley Lagman. I realized then that I had to clarify and connect these stories into one that succinctly expresses the struggle of the Filipino-Canadian community since the early 90's.

Film has the power to build empathy, and this story is an important one for us all to understand. Is there a specific aspect of the film that you would like to speak more to?

Still from Inay (Mama)

TL: I would love to talk about the visual storytelling of the story and our editing choices. My editor Anna Chiyeko Shannon worked some serious magic and I would love to talk more about how we craft this story. Other than this I of course want to talk about immigrant mental health.

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced during the production of this film?

TL: One of the biggest challenges was explaining this to my family and community to help them understand why these stories were worth documenting and convincing them to open up for the film.

Being on camera is hard enough, but being vulnerable on camera is daunting. Sounds like you created a safe space for them to open up. Do you have a favourite scene or moment in the film?

Thea Loo, Director, Inay (Mama)

TL: My favourite scene is the one with my mother packing her "balikbayan" boxes as she prepares for a Christmas trip to the Philippines. I love that I was able to capture my own mother enacting the movement between Philippines and Canada so that the audience could directly witness the themes of the film as it happens in the present day. My mom is a great interview subject, she's funny and speaks directly. She opened up about feelings and experiences I had never seen through her perspective before. We cried together during this interview although we had to cut that specific part out.

That sounds like a beautiful experience to share with your mom. Especially while making this film. It’s impossible to do this work without supporters. Anyone out there who was your stalwart champion?

TL: I'd like to thank my family and specifically the mothers featured in this film who were so brave and open. Thank you to my husband Jeremiah Reyes who followed me into a very dark place in order to make this film. I can confidently say we walked out the other side empowered and changed.

Working with your partner can be hard! Can you describe your process for writing the script? How did you approach the story structure and dialogue?

TL: During the development period for this documentary, we had the opportunity to consult with Carmen Pollard on our story structure. She was incredibly supportive, insightful, and instructive. It was important to me to breathe new life into the immigrant narrative by closely following the perspective of the second generation and examining the impact migration has had on them. I also wanted to avoid the cliché of returning to the homeland, which is often seen in other immigrant-themed films. Instead, I aimed to show how, for me, it’s less about a return and more about the continuous influence of the homeland on my daily life in Canada. For this reason, we purposefully shift back and forth between the Philippines and Canada throughout the film, de-emphasizing a specific return home, and instead suggesting that perhaps we never fully left.

Authenticity is always the best policy. Which filmmakers or films have influenced your work the most?

Still from Inay (Mama)

TL: Inay (Mama) was greatly inspired by two short documentaries: Sing Me a Lullaby by Tiffany Hsiung and Fruits of Labour by Ophelia Spinosa. Both films explore relationships with parents, communication, and silences. These films left a profound impact on me when I first watched them and continue to come to mind often. Jeremiah and I are also highly inspired by the visuals of Andrea Arnold. We admire her use of natural lighting and the intimate way she frames her characters. As a nod to her, we specifically included a shot of a cow in the Philippines. Her documentary Cow also portrays a mother cow separated from her calf.

An homage by bovine! We love a good throughline. What are you working on next? Are there any upcoming projects you're excited about?

TL: This December, my film partner Natalie and I will be shooting her next short film, titled Tears Burn to Ash, in Japan. We are very excited to film overseas and are currently in the casting process.

Thanks Thea! And that’s a great segue to Natalie. With two films at VIFF, you probably had your fair share of challenges to overcome. What was one that stood out?

Natalie Murao, Associate Producer, Inay (Mama)

Natalie Murao (NM): I was supposed to join the Ontario unit of the shoot, but found out that I couldn't go anymore due to other commitments. Luckily, our friend Kimberly Ho was able to take over my role and lead the crew through a minus 30 degree shoot in the deep of winter!

Admittedly though, there were not so many logistical struggles as there were emotional and personal ones. The film is so intimate in its exploration of the subjects' lives and traumas that there are bound to be hurdles along the way. I believe we were successful though by practicing a lot of openness, communication, patience, and care.

That is the winning trifecta in a producer’s arsenal. How did you bring that into working with your collaborators on this project?

NM: Vibes are important! Thea and I always say that we like to work with folks based off of vibes. The team that we gathered were our friends who we trust and love spending time with. By doing so, we were able to ensure a cohesive understanding of what Thea was trying to accomplish.

One team, one dream. Where do you find inspiration, how did you incorporate it into your work on the film?

NM: I am inspired by projects that find new modes of collaborating and creating that aren't the typical top-down system. I look to development programs that foster these types of artists and the films that they produce, such as Sundance, Film Independent, and even our local Catalyst program!

Snaps to the Catalyst Program! Jeremiah, it sounds like this collaboration was unique. How did you work with Thea to bring her vision into reality and how did you develop the visual style?

Jeremiah Reyes, Co-DP, Inay (Mama)

Jeremiah Reyes (JR): During pre-production, Thea and I discussed capturing the VHS home camcorder look and the old TV 4:3 aspect ratio. We aimed not merely to evoke nostalgia to match our archival footage but to use these elements as tools to capture intimacy and familiarity—ways to make the audience feel like they’re watching something personal, almost like a memory unfolding. We also wanted to explore the duality of the icy, cold atmosphere of Canada with the warmth of the Philippines, reflecting Thea’s idea that this was more than just a geographic contrast but an immigrant experience—often feeling suspended between two worlds and never fully belonging to either.

Much of my collaboration with Thea was a continuous exploration that felt like it needed to be fully realized in post-production. When we finally had a cut of the film, we immediately saw the distinct visual texture between Canada and the Philippines. In Canada, I color-graded harsher bright white lighting and a cooler color palette to highlight the stark, isolating winter landscape. In contrast, we shot the Philippines with a more exotic, saturated, sun-drenched look, leaning into natural light to evoke a sense of dream-like familiarity. This intercutting created a visual dialogue between the two worlds—an exciting creative choice that wouldn’t have been possible without Anna Chiyeko Shannon’s incredible editing skills. She managed to weave these contrasting visual elements together seamlessly, enhancing the story’s emotional complexity and giving life to Thea’s vision.

Sounds like a visual treat. How did you harness your light to achieve this?

JR: I don't have much experience with lighting, so Christian’s expertise was invaluable in shaping the look of the film. His ability to work with available resources made all the difference. For exterior scenes, I aimed to use as much natural light as possible. Shooting in the Philippines presented its own challenges; the intense brightness during our filming hours required us to adapt quickly.

A yes, a DOP must always expect the unexpected and yet still somehow make it work. What was the most difficult shot you had to capture for the film?

Still from Inay (Mama)

JR: One of the toughest moments was filming in Cobourg, Ontario, during what ended up being the coldest day of the year in Canada. The freezing temperatures made it almost impossible for all of us to stand outside, and we struggled to capture an intimate conversation with one of our subjects in the film. To overcome this, I suggested to the whole crew that we continue the conversation one-on-one in the van with the camera and sound rolling. That team decision allowed us to keep the story moving forward.

Quick thinking! Christian, you were the co-DOP. Anything stand out to you as a significant challenge?

Christian Yves Jones, Co-DP, Inay (Mama)

Christian Yves Jones (CYJ): Shooting in -23°C weather was a challenge—it was the coldest I’ve ever experienced on a shoot. The cameras got so cold that they stopped working, so we had to use heat packs to keep them warm. We could only shoot in short bursts of 15-20 minutes before racing back to the car to warm up. Since our time outside was limited, we stripped down the camera setup by removing accessories to speed up setup time and improve ergonomics, making it easier to use with chunky winter gloves.

I’m starting to see a theme here. Noted - do not film in arctic conditions. Collaboration has been a core theme to this discussion. How did you work with other departments to ensure a cohesive look/feel/experience?

CYJ: As an emerging filmmaker, it was great to work with another DoP for a second opinion. We both learned a lot from each other, often sharing new ways to approach different situations. If we both felt strongly about a shot, we knew it was a money shot.

Before filming, we met at Thea’s home to study several biographical and portrait documentaries. We analyzed what we liked and disliked about each film and discussed the gear we needed to recreate the desired look.

Before Thea and Jeremiah left to film in the Philippines, we considered imagery that would juxtapose the Canadian winter landscape. We filmed in a way that they could easily mirror while traveling, with only themselves as the subject and camera/sound crew.

Where does inspiration strike for you and how did you incorporate it into your work on the film?

CYJ: I had similar experiences to Jeremiah and Shirley, as I also moved away from the Philippines. I grew up in New Zealand and moved to Canada in 2017. During the filming, we bonded over our shared experiences, which I believe gave us foresight in anticipating key moments. We knew which scenes would evoke tears, frustration, or joy because we all understood the gravity of what was unfolding.

That sounds incredibly powerful. So important for the film that the whole team had the share emotional and lived-experience to help create that safe-space. How do you think your role influences the overall impact of a film?

CYJ: Before travelling to Ontario for the bulk part of filming, the crew spent time getting to know Shirley, who is Thea’s best friend. I was already friends with Thea and Jeremiah. I think it was important for Thea and Jeremiah to have someone on the team that they could feel comfortable around and speak openly about sensitive topics.

Trust is essential. Especially as an indie filmmaker. In general, how do you overcome the challenges of an indie filmmaker often faces?

CYJ: I’m a third culture kid. Rarely do I see a complete representation of myself in the media. This has pulled me towards finding and telling stories with cultural and social intersectionality. I’ve been lucky that I’ve been able to team up with other emerging filmmakers who are interested in spotlighting such topics. The challenge is finding outlets where we can distribute and reach our communities. As filmmakers, I think we’re all drawn to the prestige of having our stories projected on the silver screen, but I don’t think we should limit ourselves to thinking that's the only way to distribute our films. With globalized conversations taking place on social media and online streaming platforms, we have new pathways to engage and speak to our communities that are otherwise spread out and isolated.

Time to innovate within the paradigm shift of the industry! Thanks everyone for sharing the vulnerabilities that inspired you to make this film and continue to inspire to create meaningful impact in the world.