āYou know what your problem is, itās that you havenāt seen enough movies ā all of lifeās riddles are answered in the movies.ā ā Comedian Steve Martin
āDocumentedā is a film directed by Pulitzer-prize winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas. He revealed that he is an undocumented āillegalā immigrant in an article in the New York Times in 2011. If his name sounds familiar perhaps it is because his story was also broadcast on national TV on ABC News. Vargas led a career as a top-notch journalist with The San Francisco Chronicle, The Washington Post, and Huffington Post. His job is to report the truth while he lived with his own secret that he was hiding until the 2011 article. He is as an undocumented immigrant. āDocumentedā is his about his journey to America from the Philippines when he was 12 in 1993, his introspective journey through America as an immigration reform advocate and his re-connection with his mom whom he hasn't seen in 20 years.
Vargas was in Hawaii representing one of several films featured at the 33rd Hawaii International Film Festival. The 2013 event launched Oct. 10 ā 20 in Honolulu and Oct. 24-27 on Kauai and the Big Island. The festival theme is Celebrating a Century of Films in Hawaii.Ā
Four years after coming to America from the Philippines, at the age of 16, Vargas went to get his driverās license in California. The Mountain View High School student was turned away as the Department of Motor Vehicles administrator told him his green card was a fake. Thatās when he learned the truth from his grandfather that he was undocumented. The knot in his stomach about his undocumented secret turns into a badge of purpose as he shares his story. The film takes place in Mountain View, California as well as in Iowa, Alabama and Florida where the San Francisco State University graduate travels the country openly as an undocumented immigrant. There are also scenes from the Philippines where a camera crew filmed without him.Ā The first time director said film is the most transparent medium compared to newspaper reporting. Ā āAuthenticity is paramount,ā Vargas explained. āThere's a distinct kind of presentness that writing--which to me is a more reflective form of expression--cannot fully duplicate. Frankly, I didn't realize how broken I am until I saw--on film, straight-to-camera--how broken my mother is. The cost of our separation did not become real and urgent until I saw the mother I left when I was 12.ā Vargas has been to Hawaii before as a member of his high school choir, and he has enjoyed Hawaii on vacation a couple of times after he outed himself.Ā This was the first time he was in Hawaii with his film. Follow him on Twitter at @joseiswriting
Director Jerrold Tarog of āIf Onlyā was also at HIFF to showcase the last of his trilogy on cameras. His inspiration for this particular film was his own experience as a wedding photographer.
āIf Onlyā (Sana Dati) which he released this year, is about a girl who is going to marry an ambitious politician. The bride-to-be starts to develop a relationship with the wedding photographer who reminds her of one of the loves from her past. Ā This filmās stars are Lovi Poe, Paulo Avelino, Benjamin Alves, Ria Garcia, and TJ Trinidad.
