Angel Aquino Brings Filipino Migrant Families’ Story to Tokyo Film Fest

By Florenda Corpuz

TOKYO – Acclaimed Filipino actress Angel Aquino attended the world premiere of her latest film “April” at the 38th Tokyo International Film Festival on Oct. 31. The Taiwan-Philippines production, featured in the festival’s World Focus section, explores the ties that bind and sometimes test Filipino families separated by circumstance.

In the film, Aquino portrays a Filipino migrant worker who returns home to the Philippines with the ailing Taiwanese grandfather she has been caring for, hoping to see her critically ill mother one last time. Directed by Taiwanese filmmaker Freddy Tang, the story delves into the complexities of migration, caregiving, and belonging, themes deeply familiar to many Filipinos.

During the post-screening Q&A at Hulic Hall Tokyo, Aquino reflected on what the film reveals about family and how its message resonated with her personally.

“I think that what the film tried to depict about family is very universal, that family should always be there for each other, and how important the family unit is in terms of how the children are growing up, in terms of values and morals of one another,” she said.

For her, the film mirrors a painful truth that many Filipino families live every day.

“Unfortunately, in the Philippines, a lot of parents have to leave their families, just like what you saw in the movie,” she continued. “A lot of parents have to leave their children and care for other children abroad. So that’s a problem that we face in the Philippines. A lot of children grow up without their parents around because the parents need to work, the parents need to support their education, and support the family so that everyone could go on living and have a good future ahead.”

Despite the distance, Aquino said the strength of Filipino families lies in their effort to stay connected.

“But still, despite that, the parents still try their best to be there for their children. And it’s good that now staying in touch with your family is easier, that kind of helps. But still, I think the presence of parents and family members is very important for each other’s support,” she said.

Her words carried both realism and hope, reflecting the resilience of Filipinos who endure separation for a better life.

L-R: Taiwanese actor Liu Kuan-ting, who plays Ah Wei, the son of the elderly man cared for by April; Angel Aquino; and Freddy Tang

“Hopefully, conditions will improve in the Philippines. I don’t know if that will ever happen in the near future, but that is what we’re trying to work on as a country, I mean, as a people,” she added.

For the 52-year-old actress, “April” is more than just a role. It is a reflection of countless Filipino families who are forced to live apart.

“What you saw is something that is quite normal in the Philippines. The families whose parents don’t have to leave their children are actually very lucky. My family is part of that small number of families who stay together and actually see each other through all our lives,” she said. “We’re hoping that that number increases. We hope that Filipinos’ lives will get better so that we don’t have to see children growing up without their parents.”

Tang, who previously worked on a television series about migrant workers in Taiwan, said the film was his way of shifting the lens to what happens after they return home.

“At that time, I did not include any kind of story about what happened to them when they went back home. This time, I wanted to put the focus there. How these migrant workers, after they go back home, need to face their own families again. I think how these migrant workers go back to their families after leaving their host countries is actually a very big issue in today’s society,” the director said.

There are currently more than 160,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Taiwan, with approximately 27,000 employed in the social welfare and caregiver sector.