“Inay” is a Canadian documentary probing the pain of Filipina mothers leaving the Philippines to work as domestic workers in Canada primarily as child and elder minders. I knew several work colleagues that hired Filipina nannies to mind their children. Some of these nannies had left children and husbands behind and had not returned for years. This story is repeated in the documentary. Child abandonment in the Philippines was encouraged by a political, economic and cultural system the documentary explains. The path to Canadian citizenship and acquiring sufficient wealth to bring over children can take years. That wait inflicts emotional harm.
Abandoned children may suffer mental illness, often depression, brought about by constant sadness and loneliness. Two of the subjects in the film abandoned by their mothers contemplated suicide. And the mothers who abandoned are affected feeling shame and guilt.
The most poignant part of the documentary is two of the abandoned children (now adults) discussing with their mothers about the hurt of their abandonment. It is an emotional and powerful one and it is regrettable the discussion had not been more probing. The question never posed to the mothers was, “Was it worth it?”
The documentary could be interpreted as a journey of personal healing.
A good initial effort by Filipina Canadian producer and director Thea Loo but at times it meanders such as a puzzling discussion about Thea’s character by her husband and the overly discussed friendship/relationship between her husband and the abandoned Shirley Lagman. Some harder facts such as the number of Filipina domestics leaving their children behind to work in Canada as domestics and if that number has differed over the years and why would have been most useful.
“Inay” will have its premiere on 4August2024 at the Asian American International Film Festival in New York and will debut on the Knowledge Network in 2025.
RKS 2024 Film Rating 64/100.
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