The Debut (2000)

The Debut: Directed by Gene Cajayon. With Dante Basco, Jayson Schaal, Brian Card, Mindy Spence. A young man struggles with his desire to study art when his family thinks he’s headed for premedical studies. Conflicts between Filipino traditions and expectations vs. personal dreams in the contemporary world erupt at his sister’s debut.

“Having recently seen the `The Debutu0026#39; at its premiere in Chicago, I just have to say, `Kudosu0026#39; to the cast and crew of the movie. As a fellow `pinoyu0026#39;, I truly appreciated the efforts made by the filmu0026#39;s writers to capture the essence of our dual culture. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise that it was an independent film – not having to compromise the script or its chosen actors. A film about Filipinos, acted, directed, and produced by Filipinos. And the fact that it took almost two years to get this film shown here, is a testament in itself to the principals of the movie for persevering since Hollywood decided not to support it.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe story line is your basic coming of age film. However what makes it different is the depth at which the subtleties of Filipino-American life is presented and portrayed for the first time. So for non-Filipinos, itu0026#39;s good `primeru0026#39; about your prevalent, yet up to now, silent neighbors. For Filipino-Americans, this is a film you should support and be proud of. The film is in English with periodic subtitles. It is not your typical big budget Hollywood film, yet it doesnu0026#39;t play like a low budget indie either. With its spirited acting and a notable (Fil-Am) soundtrack, this movie is polished gem. `Pinoysu0026#39;, welcome to our `debutu0026#39;!”