It’s rare to see opportunities for ESEA individuals, so when I saw the advertisement for the I, Human project, I immediately applied. From the get-go, I knew I wanted to create a documentary about migration and the ESEA community in the UK and I was lucky enough to meet another like-minded individual to collaborate with.  

 

As the daughter of a refugee, it is rare to see refugees and immigrants take control of their own narratives in the media, so I, Human was an amazing opportunity to showcase the culture and lives of migrants, rather than just as statistics. Even more, I believe that our documentary showcased a positive, happy depiction of a segment of the ESEA community, while still being educational about the struggle of Filipino migrants in the UK. 
 

I learnt a lot from the project, especially since I had never created a documentary before! From interviewing to filming enough b-roll to creating a cohesive narrative, this documentary was quite the learning process. Nonetheless, I now feel much more confident in my journalistic skills. 
 

While it was a struggle with minimal funding, it meant that we had to get creative with limited resources. Neither of us had a camera or editing equipment so it was a real challenge, but we managed. 

 

After hours of filming and editing, I’m proud of what my partner and I accomplished. It was even more gratifying to show the film in front of my loved ones and watch other hardworking ESEA creatives showcase their work. As an international journalism student, it’s fuelled my passion even more to create content that propels the voices of ESEA individuals and tell our own stories in our own voices. 

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