Dances with Films 2018 - Diwa
A hard, realistic look at the plight of immigrants victimized by violent crimes and the obstacles they face - told through the eyes of one victim.
Interview with Co-writer/Co-director Aina Dumlao
Watch Diwa on Prime Video
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
A few years ago, I was the lead actress in a social justice short film called 'The Return', about modern-day slavery in America. When my partner (Bru Muller, who is my co-everything: writing/directing/producing/editing) and I saw that film, it was a wake-up call. A realization that there are so many untold stories – deeply important stories – that need to be up on screen, but aren’t. We made a decision that day to make films, in part, that shine a light on stories we felt needed to be told, because no one else seemed to be telling them.
Since I was born and raised in the Philippines - a country where opportunities for a good life are scarce (and often the only choice to help your family is to leave home and work abroad) - our story, Diwa was written into being from the Filipino, immigrant perspective.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
If you want to know what it feels what like to be another person on this planet, someone who’s just like you, but is also different from you - someone who also has hopes, dreams, fears and problems - our film takes a look at that. Our film (hopefully) explores the idea that there is no “them” and “us” - there is only us.
Specifically, our film examines what it feels like to be someone arriving in this country for the very first time. Not on vacation, not as a tourist, but as someone who is desperate to find a way to make money to help her dying father. At the end of the day, our film is about empathy; something we feel the world could use more of at the moment.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
We really love directors and films that examine the human condition. Diwa examines what it’s like to be an undocumented immigrant in today’s world. That is an occurrence that couldn’t be more personal, and is also experienced by tens (or hundreds) of millions of people every year. We hope that our film touches on loneliness, love, longing, loss and hope.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
We initially wrote Diwa as a feature film script. Immediately after, we thought about how all of our previous short films were either comedies, commercials, or both - all the exact opposite of Diwa. If we were going to be taken seriously by studios and streaming giants like Netflix, we felt we had to show that we could deftly take on such a hard-hitting, complex drama, and do so with a great deal of empathy and care.
Including our producing partner and cinematographer Corey Cooper, the 3 of us took the essence of the feature script and wrote a 15 page short film centered around what we thought were the 2 most important scenes in the feature film.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
We had a private screening of our film for 52 people at the end of May. The hours leading up to our first screening were full of anxiety. Corey, Bru and I thought we had a film that was executed well, but we didn’t know if our film was going to resonate emotionally with people. We are happy (and relieved!) to say that people were visibly moved by Diwa.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
The biggest surprise came from a Trump supporter. In his words: “I set aside my politics, and saw the human being up on screen. Anyone who sees this film and doesn’t cry for Diwa is subhuman.”
That was really great to hear. We are not making a political film, just a human one.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
As a woman, an immigrant, a person of color and a filmmaker - having a ‘home’ and a platform like wearemovingstories.com where I could speak my truth and tell my stories is really important. After all, we don’t want to make a film in secret. We hope to attract the attention of individuals, companies and studios who can help us tell a deeper story of Diwa, in feature film.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
First, we need to ensure that decision makers at film festival actually see Diwa, so we have a chance to be included in their programming. We also need journalists and film critics to watch our film and write about it, so our audience knows we exist. Finally, we need someone in content at Netflix to swoop in so we can make the feature film happen!
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
To help everyone remember there is only one of us. That we are all human beings that we can trace any of our roots back to the same set of grandparents if we go back far enough; that we are all human beings, you and I. When you remember that, then we can’t turn a blind eye to another person’s suffering, or worse, be the cause of their suffering.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
I think it would be good if someone asks, "Why did you make this film?”
Would you like to add anything else?
At the very end of the end credits of our film, a Card comes up: "Diwa: her story is your story." We’d like to remind people that we are all immigrants.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
We also have 2 TV series pilot scripts we are working on - one is based on an untold true story of a female hero in World War II, and the other is a sci-fi story.
Interview: June 2018
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Diwa
A hard, realistic look at the plight of immigrants victimized by violent crimes and the obstacles they face - told through the eyes of one victim.
Length: 18 minutes
Director: Bru Muller & Aina Dumlao
Producer: Bru Muller, Aina Dumlao & Corey Cooper
Writer: Aina Dumlao & Bru Muller
About the writer, director and producer:
AINA DUMLAO is a Filipino-American actress and filmmaker. She’s recurring on two shows, MacGyver and Ballers, and co-owns a film production company in Los Angeles.
BRU MULLER is a working actor in LA (NCIS, Alias) before co-founding Undercurrent Films. Most recently, he directed pilot pitch “Single and Borderline Desperate” for HBO.
COREY COOPER is an in-demand cinematographer/time-lapse photographer for NatGeo, History Channel, MTV, to name a few, aside from lensing most of Undercurrent’s project.
Key cast: Aina Dumlao, Leslie Thurston, Maria Pallas, Shaw Jones, Jeremy Andorfer-Lopez, Eddie Martinez, Seli M. Rose
Looking for: journalists, film festival directors, producers & investors who can make the feature film version
Facebook: facebook.com/mynameisdiwa.com
Twitter: @mynameisdiwa
Instagram: @mynameisdiwa
Official website: www.mynameisdiwa.com
Funders: Our hundreds of wonderful, extremely generous Indiegogo supporters from all over the world!
Made in association with: B-Raja Media Group, The Chimaera Project
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
Our world premiere is at the Dances With Films Film Festival this Saturday, June 9, 5pm at TCL Chinese Hollywood. Tickets are available at www.danceswithfilms.com/diwa. Next stop on our film festival journey is at the Woods Hole Film Festival, July 30. More details to come.