The award-winning writer and director Martin Edralin discusses his feature film debut Islands, a film about a Filipino immigrant to Canada’s experience as a shy bachelor wanting love and caring for his aging parents, playing this week in-person at the Vancouver International Film Festival, and streaming across Canada (until 11 October 2021), with Joseph Planta.

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.

The Vancouver International Film Festival starts this Friday, 01 October 2021. It’ll be a hybrid festival this year, owing to public health orders here in British Columbia, but films can be viewed on the big screen as well as small screen. One such film is the feature film debut of Martin Edralin. The award-winning film director has written and directed Islands. It is a film that takes place in Toronto, where the lead character, a Filipino immigrant named Joshua, a fifty-year old bachelor, prays nightly to rid his shyness. He lives and cares for his aging parents, and the film sheds light on the filial circumstances that are common to immigrant families, not just Filipino Canadians. Joshua, played by Rogelio Balagtas, and his family are visited by a cousin, Marisol, played by Sheila Lotuaco, and Joshua slowly emerges. It’s a delightful film, loving, and warm. Mr. Edralin has written a special film, a fine achievement for a feature debut, and a marvelous way to look at Filipino Canadian life, the care for aging parents, and the tensions and frictions that occur in any sort of family unit. As I tell Martin, there are some beautiful shots in the film, as well as vivid emotional performances that not only move but entertain viewers. It’s also a great example of the richness that emerges when diversity on and off the screen is encouraged and funded. Martin Edralin’s 2014 short film Hole received the Canadian Screen Award for Best Live Action Short Drama. Islands screened earlier this year at the South By Southwest Festival, and was well-received. The film will be available across Canada screened through the Vancouver Film Festival’s VIFF Connect, between October 1^st to the 11^th. And there will be two screenings Sunday evening, 03 October at 6.15pm, and Tuesday afternoon, 05 October 2021 at 3.45pm at The Cinematheque. Visit www.viff.org for tickets and information. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Martin Edralin; Mr. Edralin, good morning.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (20.5MB)

Subscribe: RSS