A Filipina Finds Unexpected Connections on a Journey to Japan
Special Screening: "This Place" (Kono Basho) followed by a Q&A with
director Jaime Pacena II and actress Gabby Padilla
Monday, March 2 at 6:00 pm
In Japanese, Tagalog, English with English subtitles
Philippines, Japan 2026 85 minutes
Written and Directed by: Jaime Pacena II
Produced by: Dan Villegas, Masumi Soga, Leoby Marquez, Jamie Pacena II
Starring:
Gabby Padilla, Arisa Nakano, Reiko Kataoka, Sho Yakumaru, Satoshi Nikaido
Film courtesy of Spanic Films
Visual artist Jaime Pacena II has worked closely with communities across Tohoku since 2010, and has witnessed firsthand the resilience of Rikuzentakata, a city profoundly altered by the triple disasters of March 2011. Working through his own personal struggles against the backdrop of the city's physical devastation, Pacena found striking parallels with the local residents' emotional upheavals and recovery efforts. These inspired him to write and direct his first film, which tells a deeply affecting story focusing on loss and rebirth, set against a backdrop of historical trauma. Providing a fresh perspective on the Filipino diaspora, "This Place" also gently probes the complexities of family ties, cultural identity and belonging across borders.
As the film opens, Ella (Padilla), a young Filipina anthropologist, travels to Rikuzentakata for her estranged father's funeral. There, she meets his second family, including her Japanese half-sister, Reina (Nakano), an art student, and attempts to grapple with her overwhelming sense of grief and displacement. But as Ella and Reina, neither speaking the other's language fluently, confront their intertwined histories, they gradually begin to find connection and even solace. As Ella goes about settling the surprising terms of her father's will, and Reina turns to art for healing, the two women find themselves reassessing their feelings about the past and their fractured family.
Unfolding against the Tohoku region's tranquil landscapes and the quiet rhythms of post-disaster recovery, "This Place" is beautifully lensed, tracing with restraint and emotional precision the tentative formation of new bonds, shaped by resilience and shared humanity.
Please join us for this special screening of "This Place" just after its initial Japan release on February 28.
For more (in Japanese): https://spanic-films.com/konobasho/
Director JAIME PACENA II is engaged in curation, visual arts, filmmaking and education. His visual art works have been exhibited across the Philippines as well as internationally. He is the founder of Bliss Market Laboratory (BMLab), which fosters cultural exchanges among multimedia artists and students, and teaches fulltime at Asia Pacific College. He has made numerous award-winning music and experimental videos, and represented the Philippines at Sheffield Doc Fest. His directorial debut feature, "This Place," earned 11 nominations at the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival as well as being named Best Fiction of Youth at the Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema.
GABBY PADILLA is an acclaimed Filipino actress known for her work across TV, film and theater, with notable roles in the films "Billie and Emma" (2018), "Dead Kids" (2019), "Kalel, 15" (2019), "Gitling" (2023) and "Uninvited" (2024). For her role in "This Place," she received the Best Actress award at the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival, further solidifying her reputation as one of the Philippines' most compelling screen performers.
Please make your reservations at the FCCJ Reception Desk 03 3211-3161 or register online.
All film screenings are private, noncommercial events primarily for FCCJ members and their guests.
- Karen Severns, Film Committee