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‘The Pleasure of Being Served:’ The undocumented immigrant’s dilemma
By Cristina DC Pastor Time and again, one hears the archetypal narrative about the undocumented immigrant who is torn between principle and pragmatism. Michael Manese’s “The Pleasure of Being Served” is one such story. The 15-minute short film tells how undocumented housemaid Rosa must choose between continuing to work for her rakish boss and leaving. […]
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In “Ma’ Rosa,” Cannes Best Actress Jaclyn Jose plays a meth dealer with eloquence, warmth
By Joel David Brillante Ma. Mendoza’s “Ma’ Rosa” holds the distinction of being the second Filipino film to win at the Cannes Film Festival’s main competition. Even more impressive is the fact that the previous winner, “Kinatay” (2009), was also made by Mendoza, who won for direction. “Ma’ Rosa” copped a “lesser” prize (best actress […]
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How far would you go to get a U.S. visa? A raucous look at our coming-to-America stories
By Lenn Almadin Thornhill The shock seemed to unfold in slow motion. We watched as actor Sid Lucero unclipped the lapel microphone, tossed it on the green table in Bryant Park, and walked out, leaving reporters of the Filipino American Press Club in New York City looking at each other. Until someone said, “Call JP!” […]
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Standing ovation for the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra’s NYC debut
By Wendell Gaa On a warm Saturday evening on June 18th, members of the New York Filipino American community turned up in multitudes to watch the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra at the renowned Carnegie Hall. Many of us, including myself, have only heard about the PPO without ever having the chance to listen to their fine […]
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At Cipriani, FilAm elite assembles somewhat conflicted
By Cristina DC Pastor Dozens of women wandered throughout the lobby, many of them dressed in glittery tulle, others in humbler business suits. They spoke in whispers, but their pasty faces betrayed the shock of the day’s news: 50 killed in Orlando shooting. Omar Mateen’s shooting spree occurred in the early morning of June 12, […]
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Western U offers 30-day TFC package in new promo
The Western Union Company recently announced that it has signed a promotion agreement with ABS-CBN Global Group to offer Western Union consumers key markets access to TFC.tv Lite Package. The promotion is open to all consumers in participating countries who send money to the Philippines through Western Union or Vigo (Canada only) Agent retail locations […]
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Why we need more Asian-Americans in film, on TV
By Zorinah Juan Over the past 15 years, I’ve walked into so many sets and noticed the constant lack of Asian-American directors, producers, and actors. I have met a handful of Filipino-Americans in these positions. According to the Pew Research Center, there are about 18.2 million Asian-Americans, with Filipinos numbering 3.4 million or about 20 […]
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No raining on this parade, no rain date either
By Lindy Rosales “Nasagupa namin lahat ng ulan. May dala kaming payong at raincoat pero nabasa ang aming pantalon at sapatos. Tinapos talaga namin ang parade.” With fervor and frenzy, Queens resident Relieta Madera, two friends, and a sister from Virginia, made their way to the Philippine Independence Parade on Madison Avenue cloaked in raincoats […]
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FilAm stuntmen choreograph fight scenes in ‘Ninja Turtles’ film sequel
By Wendell Gaa I enjoyed watching the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (TMNT) cartoon series on TV in the late 1980s when I was growing up, and although I wasn’t a passionate collector of all TMNT-related merchandise the same way my brother was, I couldn’t help but be so amused by the four talking turtle heroes […]