Art imitating life: directing a story about a mother letting go, exactly at a time when I was packing up to leave my childhood home.
"Let Go" was the timeliest project of my career. I was literally in the process of moving out of my parents' house, navigating my own mother's struggle with letting me leave the nest. When this brief landed, I knew instantly I had to direct it. Beyond the deep emotional resonance, it was a massive milestone: shooting an official project inside SM Megamall. It’s the definitive backdrop of almost every Filipino’s childhood, holding my own fondest memories of sharing deep-dish Sbarro pizzas with my family.
Of course, capturing that nostalgic, cinematic magic inside a massive, operational mall was a logistical nightmare. The biggest hurdle wasn't just the crowds—it was navigating the mall's incredibly strict security protocols, which made moving heavy camera equipment and large set pieces extremely difficult. Combined with only being able to partially close off areas to the public, the shoot demanded extreme control and patience. It was an absolute gauntlet for the camera department, the PD crew, and my producer, but they pushed through the restrictions brilliantly. Standing in the middle of the Megamall I grew up in, directing a piece that perfectly mirrored my exact stage of life, was nothing short of a dream.
