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Old film featuring Filipino farm owner shown in Chicago

An old silent film that tells the story of a Filipino farm owner is set to be shown in Chicago as part of efforts to preserve Fil-Am history.

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<div><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ikrciJhdhUE?&amp;feature=youtu.be&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe> </div>An old silent film that tells the story of a Filipino farm owner is set to be shown in Chicago as part of efforts to preserve Fil-Am history.Set in Reynoldsburg in 1936 Ohio, the movie depicts a typical day in the life of Filipino farm owner Pablo Lacuata Cabellera and his daughter Margie helping him.“It really captured the imagination, probably not just me but [also] many people,&quot; said Becky Hall, co-founder of Chicago Film Society.Cabellera also plays multiple instruments, and the film also features singing and dancing.“A lot of stories of diaspora in general focus a lot on struggle and suffering which there,&quot; said Reilly Amera, who was part of the audience. &quot;But it&#x27;s nice to see the cloud parts and see these joyous, lovely events.&quot;The film shot by Fil-Am Nicholas Viernes, is part of renowned Filipino Chicago historian Estrella Alamar’s collection.Ashley Dequilla and the Filipino American Historical Society of Chicago are continuing efforts to preserve and present archival footage, in partnership with Chicago Film Society and the University of Chicago.“People could see this and they can see pride in their own histories,&quot; said Dequilla, a historian and archivist, &quot;and pride in their own memories and representation through these films. Even if it&#x27;s not their family, it&#x27;s familiar.&quot;A screening of Filipino footage from the 1920s to 1980s had Fil-Am Ash Nanoz thinking about documenting her family&#x27;s history as well.“That really struck a chord with me because it’s not really that far back in history,&quot; she said. &quot;But I’ve never seen it and never been exposed to it.”Cabellera&#x27;s story is not only groundbreaking because it captures a Filipino farm owner when it was rare during that time, but also because his marriage to his white wife was set before interracial marriage was legal.Mixing races only became legal 31 years later and footage like this is a treasure for historians.“We&#x27;re discovering that a lot of it is in really excellent condition and so were actually able to project it just like when it was shot,&quot; said Hall.Dequila, meanwhile, said one of the earliest film in the collection dates as far back as 1926 but is in really bad condition.She added that restoration efforts are underway in Maryland, which could cost about $10,000. The organization is also spearheading a fundraising for the initiative.

An old silent film that tells the story of a Filipino farm owner is shown in Chicago as part of efforts to preserve Fil-Am history.

An old silent film that tells the story of a Filipino farm owner is shown in Chicago as part of efforts to preserve Fil-Am history.

Old film featuring Filipino farm owner shown in Chicago

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Old film featuring Filipino farm owner shown in Chicago

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Cat Sandoval | TFC News Chicago

Published Feb 10, 2024 06:50 PM PHT

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United States

Chicago

Illinois

Silent Film

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