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Mindanao Film

Way to the Sunset, a Davao-made full length indie film debuts as an exhibition film during the 5th Mindanao Film Festival's theatrical screening this December 19-20 at the Cinema 5 of the Gaisano Mall of Davao.

Written and directed by Jose Bagane Fiola, a Dabawenyo "noooob", Way to the Sunset is inspired by Davao's unique Japanese heritage. 95% of the film is in Nihonggo as the story deals between a Nikkei-Jin (Japanese descendant) and a Japinoy (children born of mixed Japanese and Filipino parentage).

Fiola says he was inspired by the film when they shot last year's MFF best film Anod in Mintal, a known settlement of Japanese migrants in Davao in the early 1900s. "Near the shooting location was a ruins of an old Japanese hospital, I was curious why there was a Japanese hospital in Mintal. Then there in my curiosity I was exposed to the history of Japanese in Davao, in the early 1940s there were so many Japanese here in Davao that they called the city, 'little Japan'." Fiola recalled.

It was also through research that he uncovered the story of Nikkei-Jins or Japanese descendants, who because of their Japanese roots were able to migrate to Japan.

Set in present-day Davao City, it revolves around Nikka (Jann Lauree Liz Tagud), a nikkei-jin (Japanese descendant) and Hitoshi (Hiroku Osanai), a Japino (Japanese-Filipino) who meet up for an “eyeball” date. A seemingly ordinary day spent around the city unravels the convergent paths of their friendship and the divergent twists of each other’s fate.

Fiola says the Japanese theme makes the film unique among the different participating shorts and full lengths in the festival. Though we didnt really made it historical, the fact that the characters are Nikkei-Jins makes it one of the first locally-produced film in MFF to tackle such theme.

The actors playing the main roles Jann Laurie Liz Tagud and Hiroku Osanai are Nikkei-Jins in real-life. Jann traces her lineage to Okinawan migrants while Hiroku or Roks is of mixed Japanese-Filipino parentage.

Last year's MFF guest exhibition film Concerto by Paul Alexander Morales also tackled Japanese migrant history in Davao.