An inspiring story of a Filipino American family’s struggles after learning their son is gay has won the Juried Prize at the PBS Short Film Festival.
Produced by ABS-CBN and presented by the Center for Asian American Media, In this Family is a first person story from filmmaker Drama Del Rosario. He pieces together raw video of his youth and his interactions with his family 10 years after being outed by a teacher.
In the film, Del Rosario talks about how the show Glee and its depictions of the LGBTQ community had such a strong influence on his life and gave him an escape from his family turmoil.
“I am extremely touched by all the messages from Glee fans regarding the recent death of Naya Rivera. In the documentary, I reference various queer programs, Glee especially. Naya Rivera’s character Santana Lopez was one of the crucial queer characters that helped me and my family get to where we are now. It is a testament to how much queer entertainment can change the life of a family on the other side of the world. Rest in Power, Naya Rivera” he wrote in a blog for CAAM.
“I am so moved by all the messages from queer youth, parents of queer children, and teachers of queer students. I hope this documentary moves us closer to helping the LGBTQIA+ community feel safe and loved, especially within Asian families and schools. Furthermore, showcasing this documentary at this particular time has been special to me.”
You can watch the short film below.
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