Hiya
A shy girl gains confidence through the reimagination of her own religion by becoming the figures she prays to in an unlikely way.
Interview with Writer/Cinematographer Bettina Campomanes
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I grew up in a very religious Catholic home and we were mainly taught to pray and love God in a very specific way. After moving to America, I grew more comfortable in my own skin and felt less of a need to display my religious beliefs in a traditional way. Throughout the years it felt shameful to come back to it because of the way I display myself, but if anything, I feel like the way I do things only supports that love and does not bash on it. Religion should help you feel like you’re important and loved, and what better way to display that self-love than to display that confidence with a fun new fit?
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Considering most religion-based films these days take itself so seriously, I offer our film as a change of pace. I'd like to say it's quick, charming, and gets to the point. There is also a lack of Filipino stories presented to a western audience, so this is a wonderful way to peep into our world for a few minutes.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
In this day and age, people need to remember there is no right way to express your faith. Whether you believe in something or nothing at all, religion and ideologies are inclusive of all forms of love. Learning to love religion again but in your own way should not be seen as blasphemous.
Hiya
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The story always remained the same, but there were many instances where we had to figure out how to properly present our protagonist's dilemma. "How do we make her compare herself to the sexy/free woman?", "How do we present a household that affects one's self esteem?"
From there we figured that simple actions and the way we capture that could speak volumes. From the way characters look at each other and the way they treat their environment, it became a statement on the way your environment controls you and the ways in which you can shape yourself as a result.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Because we lost a quarter of this film in a robbery, it was very difficult to complete the vital dream sequence using stills. I'm grateful stills were even documented from the BTS to present what had happened, but even then, was hard to separate what you wanted to see versus what you actually got.
To my surprise, reviews have been rather positive and nobody could tell that something had happened. Using the stills in the dream sequence worked. I was going for a La Jetée (1962) style which was very risky but I think paid off.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
It has caused me to question my trust in the original process. Though it would have been nice to have my footage complete, I forget there could be "happy accidents" and that people process stories in different ways.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Hopefully this will help our team get more funding for a reshoot. Much of the film was lost in a robbery (the rolls of exposed film were stollen along with the camera + more) and amidst trying to recover financially/emotionally, we are all still trying to fund for a reshoot to regain what was lost. Much of the crew's work was lost and we would love to have the support to get that back. We must present the film as we had intended it to be.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
I would love for people to be aware of Filipino stories and how we need more of them out there. It always moves me when I see my people on screen or learn of the people behind it. I think Pinoy artistry in America is very rare and we need to see it and feel it for people to know we exist and we do it WELL.
Hiya - BTS
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
Positive or controversial sounds good to me. Impersonation of religious figures can be a very touchy subject, so it's good to test those waters.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Can you display your love for God if it's displayed sensually?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Interview: October 2022
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
Hiya
Length:
3:00
Writer/Cinematographer
BETTINA CAMPOMANES is a Philippine-born Cinematographer and Musician based in Los Angeles, CA. She has previously done work with clients such as Demi Adejuyibe (21st of September video series), Mac Cosmetics, the NCAA (March Madness), and Twitter (Vine), to well-established indie-musicians such as Dounia and Dear Ears. Her work both as a DP and musician has been featured on Times Magazine, Rolling Stone, New York Magazine, Scout Magazine, and Color X Studios. She was a recipient of the 2019 New York Cinematography Awards for her debut narrative film, and was a finalist at the 2020 Asian Cinematography Awards. She recently received her MFA at American Film Institute and continues to work on narrative projects as a writer/director in addition to being a DP. Suffice it to say, she’s a hoot.
Director
NAOMI CHRISTIE is a first generation Vietnamese American born and raised in California. Her creative career began in photography including fashion, commercial & advertising photography. She transitioned into directing with music videos and fashion films. She has a BA in Screenwriting and is currently getting her MFA as a directing fellow at AFI. Naomi is most interested in portraying female sensuality with the female gaze, coming of age stories, and mixed genre concepts.
Producer
PHILIP YUZHONG GE is a Chinese producer and writer based in LA who uses his multicultural sensibility to tell authentic and compelling stories of underrepresented communities. Currently a producing fellow at the American Film Institute, Philip produced over a dozen narrative shorts and co-wrote two of them. His short film, Langue, was an official selection of Palm Springs Shortfest and a semi-finalist of the Student Academy Awards. He is also selected as a fellow of 2022 Telluride FilmLAB. Philip previously received his BA and MA degrees in economics from USC and Columbia.
SHUNCHAO XU is from Wuxi, China. He received a BA in Film and Marketing at Emerson College. The films he produced have went into multiple international fests like Cairo, Leeds, Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Fest. In addition to producing short films, he assisted the producer of the TV series April Star and the DP of feature film The Legend Hunters. Shunchao has rich bilingual production experience and he’s currently a 2nd year producing fellow at AFI.
Key cast:
Mary Jo Izabel Del Rosario Mendoza (Ina), Tess Oakland (Mary), Ina Dahilig (Mia), Rhandy Torres (Romi)
Twitter:
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/betthole/
More info:
Made in association with:
AFI Conservatory