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Decades after the death of her mother, Mitsuko, and facing the sale of her ancestral home, Oi seizes a poignant opportunity to piece together a mother’s history that was never shared with her. Sifting through the hidden corners of her family home, engaging with those who shared Mitsuko’s history with her, Oi discovers letters and stories that weave a rich tapestry of her mother’s life and untold narratives of her native Japan. Through Laurence Lévesque’s thoughtful storytelling marked by stunning visuals, Okurimono navigates the delicate realms of unspeakable pain and intergenerational trauma with grace, painting a poignant picture of closure.
Japanese with English subtitles
SCREENING WITH
DIR. ANGELINE JAVIER, 2024, MANITOBA | 10 MIN
This documentary follows Liway, a permanent resident living in Canada as she prepares to send a balikbayan box to her family back home in the Philippines. This film takes a deeper look into how a tradition for many OFWs (Oversea Filipino Workers) and immigrants became a billion-dollar industry. Balikbayan, meaning “to return '' has changed meaning over the years. As we follow Liway’s journey and what it means for her to be able to send back her wealth, we also gain historical insight into these boxes and the business behind them
Genre: Documentary