Seniors, migrants and faith in Christ, the story of a Taiwanese nursing home told on screen
Taipei (AsiaNews) - Money and Honey (麵包情人), a documentary by Taiwanese director Jasmine Lee (李靖惠), is now showing in theatres in Taiwan. It is a story of strong feelings and powerful emotions that alters spectators' biases and distorted points of view.
Screened in 20 international festivals, the documentary relates the story of the relationship that develops in a nursing home between aging Taiwanese residents and the foreign female caregivers, where both miss their families, whether in Taiwan or the Philippines. Where can they find the motivation and strength to overcome their difficulties?
In the film, the story of five Filipino women (Baby, Lolita, Marlyn, Arlene and Onie) unfolds, their courage born and nurtured by family, women's power, and Christian faith and hope. This is the stuff dreams are made of, the dream of 'loving thy neighbour' as the Bible says.
It took Jasmine Lee 13 years to write, shoot, produce and then fund the documentary.
She got the idea in 1996, when she was given an opportunity to study at New York University, but had to turn it down in order to stay near her grandmother who had just moved into a nursing home. As a result of that, she began meeting Filipino women employed in the facility, and this gave her the idea of putting their experience on screen.
"The women I met are really full of life and dynamic; they inspired me to make this touching film," Lee said. "I wanted to show the character and values of these Asian women, and human beings in general; something that transcends cultures and nations. Each one of us can read it in our own way; in fact, for many, Filipino women's faith was not inconsequential."
Despite difficulties migrant workers encounter, "these women can see the positive side of things because it is part of their culture and education."
In the last few years, Taiwan's population has been aging rapidly with fewer births and more and more senior citizens. "However, few people are concerned about those who take care of the elderly on a daily basis," Lee noted.
The strength of the Filipino nation lies in its workers, who are exported around the world, with Taiwan as one of their favourite destinations. Over more than a decade, Lee was able to make new friends, discover a world she did not know, and develop respect and admiration for women far from home and their families.
Because of the terms of the contract she signed, one of the documentary's main participants was unable to go home for her mother's funeral. "This was the hardest moment," she explained. "However, this way I can give my children a better education, and I think this is the most important thing for me." Befriending Lee also showed her the human side of the elderly residents' families; to them, she is incredibly grateful.
Shot in English, the documentary's title encapsulates two elements that are fundamental in everybody's life, namely one's loved ones, who are central, and work, which we must do every day, sometimes far from home and family, in order to maintain the former, see them grow and realise themselves. The Filipino caregivers know all about this constant tension between money and feelings.
For her part, Lee said she found her 'honey' in doing this the documentary by befriending these women. Now, with all her 'money' spent on it and then some, she now hopes to raise funds to share with the women and pay off her debt.
She also hopes the film will demystify some prejudices about migrants that lurk in the minds of those who do not know them. For all these reasons, Taiwan's Catholic weeklies have widely promoted the film.
.png)
02/11/2020 10:36
25/02/2016 14:24
