Inang Yaya and Kasambahay

11.02.06 / Engine Room

Film has the power to move people. It encapsulates reality in a certain way that makes us realize our incapacities. Film has the power to open our minds to things that we unconciously forget, aspects of our lives that we leave unattended or just simply disregard.

This afternoon, a group of NGO workers from the VF (Visayan Forum Foundation, Inc./www.visayanforum.org) headed by its President, Ma. Cecilia Flores-Oebanda watched Inang Yaya. VF works for the welfare of marginalized migrants, especially those working in the invisible and informal sectors, like domestic workers and trafficked women and children. It is most known for its pioneering and documented work on domestic workers in the Philippines, especially in pushing for the Domestic Workers’ Bill or the Batas KASAMBAHAY.

It is heartwarming to learn that they found our film an ideal vehicle to promote their cause. They found aspects of the film very timely and engaging. Their enthusiasm and interest in spreading their cause through Inang Yaya was touching. They wanted to sponsor Inang Yaya’s November 24 screening and even offered the mobilization of their organization for our Cebu and Davao premieres.

It is quite satisfying to know that our work for Inang Yaya has the potential to go beyond the industry’s measure of success. People say that it is important for first time directors to make sure that their first movie should be a hit. I must admit that I always hoped for box-office success even to the point of hard-selling. I am hoping also that it could earn enough to sustain Unitel Pictures future film projects.

The VF group who watched the film have spoken about the film’s potential to move people, touch lives and make us better human beings. VF call their Inang Yayas, KASAMBAHAYS. We are glad that Ms. Cecile made the effort to get in touch with us after seeing Inang Yaya’s MTV trailer at a theater screening Scorsese’s The Departed.

At the end of Inang Yaya’s screening life, box-office sales just become an statistic but with partnerships with cause-oriented groups like VF hopefully, through this film we can reach out to more people beyond the cinemas into their homes, lives and hearts, and further the cause of our millions of KASAMBAHAYS here and abroad.