A Film Inspired by My Mom, Told Through My Dad

A film inspired by my mom, performed by my dad, and felt by anyone who's ever been far from home.

I had been wanting to make a spec project for a long time — I just didn't know what story to tell. That's the hardest part. You can have all the drive in the world, but without the right story, it doesn't go anywhere.

The answer had been close to me the whole time. I had written a paper for a class about my mom's journey as an overseas Filipino teacher and her experience coming to the United States for the first time — the loneliness, the adjustment, the weight of being far from family, and the love that made all of it worth it. That story stayed with me long after the paper was done. When I finally decided to go all in on a spec film, I knew exactly where to look.

The Class Paper

Quinnie Altura (My mom)

A Tribute, Not a Product Showcase

When I decided to create a cinematic commercial for the Carhartt brand, I knew immediately what story I wanted to tell. Not a product showcase. Not a lifestyle ad. A tribute — to overseas workers everywhere who show up, grind through unglamorous days, and keep going because of the people waiting for them back home.

The Story the Film Tells

The film follows an immigrant worker navigating the quiet hardships of working abroad. It doesn't glamorize it. It shows the reality — the long hallways, the late night shift, the small custodial room with a family photo on a desk. And it ends with him looking at that photo and speaking to his wife saying, in Tagalog: 'We will all be together again.'

Why Tagalog — and Why My Dad

I chose to have the voiceover spoken in Tagalog — my dad's native language. It felt wrong to have it any other way. The story is Filipino at its core, and having my dad speak in his native language made it feel natural, personal, and real. The music underneath is slow and instrumental, giving his voice room to breathe.

Edwin Altura (My dad)

Why Carhartt Was the Right Brand for This Story

Carhartt was the right brand for this story. Their identity has always been built around real working people — not the glamorous version of work, but the honest, hard, unglamorous kind. That's exactly what this film is about. Visual storytelling works best when the brand and the story are already speaking the same language.

Next up: how I actually made this film — in two days, by myself, with a push cart as a camera slider.