Veteran Austin filmmaker PJ Raval turns the lens on the Filipino American experience in Texas with his new documentary, “Who We Become,” now streaming on Netflix.
Recently, veteran Austin movie-maker PJ Raval has taken audiences into the worlds of a murdered transgender woman in the Philippines (“Call Her Ganda”); three senior gay men (“Before You Know It”); and a Chinese-American college student who turns into a charismatic anti-gun violence leader (“Come and Take It”).
When someone says that they are first generation, they generally mean that they moved to the States. But PJ Raval has a different way of looking at it.
The COVID-19 lockdown era was, in some ways, defined by isolation but also by the power of community – particularly with the rise of racial justice protests after the 2020 police killing of George Floyd.
A lot has been said about the year 2020. And many folks may feel like they’d just as soon leave it in the rear-view mirror, given the tumult of that year. So what can a new documentary about that time tell us now? Maybe more than you might think.
Who We Become follows three young Filipino American women over the last three years as they grapple with the pandemic, racial tensions and social justice. The three also form unexpected connections with their families, many who are immigrants from the Philippines.