Bisaya Banter

What would you do if your film, made for your own people, was banned in your own country?

In this special episode of Bisaya Banter, Vivien sat down with award-winning Filipino filmmaker Baby Ruth Villarama, best known for Sunday Beauty Queen, to talk about her latest documentary Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea.

This film, told through human stories, everyday resilience, and even touches of Bisaya language, was made for the Filipino people. But just two days before its premiere, it was pulled due to “external forces.” Baby Ruth shares how that felt, the importance of telling these stories, and how DocEdge Festival in Aotearoa became the film’s new home, where it won the Tides of Change Award.

Pulled from its Philippine premiere just two days before screening, Food Delivery found a new it's new home at DocEdge Festival in Aotearoa, where it won the Tides of Change Award 🏆

✨ Watch it in NZ:
📍 Wellington: Sun 27 July, 1:00 PM – Roxy Cinema 1
📍 Christchurch: Sun 27 July, 1:00 PM – Lumiere Cinemas Bernhardt
📍 Virtual Cinema: Mon 28 July – Sun 24 August (New Zealand-wide)
🎟 Get tickets: docedge.nz/events/food-delivery-fresh-from-the-west-philippine-sea

DocEdge Festival has also been asked by the Chinese consulate in New Zealand to be pulled from their festival. DocEdge has not pulled the film.

We also shared plenty of laughs — even after I accidentally lost 30 minutes of our conversation (😅 and she was so gracious about it!).

This is a conversation about storytelling, resilience and the heart of the Filipino spirit.

Resources you can read:

1. Banned in Manila, Premieres in NZ: The West Philippine Sea Film That Couldn't Be Silenced⁠

2. Chinese consulate asks NZ film festival to can Philippine doco

3. Chinese Consulate Pressures NZ Festival to Drop Filipino Documentary

In this episode, we’re unpacking all the things we really wish we knew before moving to New Zealand — the funny, the awkward, and the downright emotional.

Culture shocks:

• Why are people barefoot in the streets?!

• “Bring a plate” doesn’t mean… bring a plate

• “Sweet as”, “arvo”, and other confusing Kiwi slang

• What the heck is a vivid?

• Missing Jollibee, and spoon-and-fork meals

The deeper stuff:

• The quiet loneliness no one talks about

• Constant code-switching and adapting

  Read this to learn more about how languages can change our personalities

• Rebuilding a sense of community from scratch

Whether you're new to NZ or reflecting on your own migration story, we hope this convo makes you feel seen, heard, and a little less alone.

🎧 Follow & subscribe: @bisayabanter
💫 Don’t forget to rate us 5 stars if this episode hit home!

Today (November 2) is All Souls Day, a Philippine public holiday when we remember our loved ones who have passed away. We eat, pray, and play together with our extended families at the cemetery, and we sometimes camp there overnight.

It’s actually not as scary as it sounds. It’s one of Vivien’s best and funnest childhood memories, the highlight being the scary stories being told at night. Something Keziah wishes she experienced growing up.

It’s only fitting to share some of our scary stories, with tons of laughter in between to soften the mood... (because we ended up scaring ourselves lol)

From tiyanak, exorcisms, albularyo and Minda Mora, we talk about some personal scary stories and stories we’ve heard and seen on the internet.

What scary stories or FIlipino folklore did you grow up with? Tell us in the comments!

Correction: Gold Ribbon restaurant is in Glen Eden, not Henderson!

Show notes: 

1. The Exorcism of Clarita Villanueva

2. Minda Mora 

3. Trese on Netflix

4. True Philippine Ghost Stories, the book

Content warning: This episode discusses mental health issues and themes of assault.

In this deeply personal episode, Vivien and Keziah open up about their own experiences of being fetishised as Asian women in the dating scene. They reflect on how these harmful stereotypes have shaped their relationships and self-perceptions.

Supporting us through this is Filipina-American health psychologist Nicole Schoombie, who unpacks the psychological and physical harm caused by the hypersexualisation and fetishisation of Asian bodies. We explore how fetishisation is rooted in colonialism and racism, and the lasting impact it has on the physical and mental health and well-being of Asian women. This is a crucial conversation on reclaiming identity and challenging destructive narratives.

Disclaimer: Vivien's views are solely her own and does not reflect the views of Re: News or TVNZ.

Resources mentioned in the podcast:

1. 'I've never had Asian pussy before': Filipinas talk about dating in NZ - The article that brought all three of us together

2. What's the difference between a fetish and preference?

3. When does fetishising of the Filipina body or even Asian body become harmful?

4. Further reading and reference on microagressions:

5. Where to get help?

This is a special video episode with the bubbly Marc Conaco, a queer Bisaya artist whose journey in the creative industry is deeply influenced by his supportive Bisaya parents and the rich cultural tapestry of Māori traditions. Marc shares how his parents' encouragement has fuelled his passion to become a full-time freelance artist and how his experiences in Aotearoa have led him to reconnect with his pre-colonial Bisaya roots.

Marc Conaco, known as @marcconaco on Instagram, is not only a talented graphic designer and zine-maker but also an amateur farmer. Hailing from Daanbantayan, Cebu, Marc graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Architecture from the University of the Philippines before moving to Aotearoa in 2008, where he earned a Diploma in Graphic Design. Today, he thrives as a visual artist and producer within the creative industry.

Throughout the episode, we discuss how Marc's works strongly focus on reclaiming pre-colonial Bisaya culture, the importance of decolonisation and how it has allowed him to deepen his connection with Bisaya traditions.

There's heaps of laughter in this bilingual episode, predominantly in English with some Bisaya, as we celebrate the intersections of identity, culture, and artistry. Marc's story is a testament to the power of cultural pride and the influence of familial support in pursuing one's passions.

We also didn't anticipate this would be a video episode, so forgive our intro and outro audio! If we decide to do more videos, we'll have a filmed version by then!

SHOW NOTES:

The Instagram handle for those people and organisations mentioned:

In this episode, we explore the work of Jas Sabrine, a Filipino artist in New Zealand. They were inspired by Māori culture in their journey to reconnect with their Filipino heritage. Jas discusses how indigenous practices influence their art and the importance of cultural representation for Filipino artists in Aotearoa New Zealand. We highlight the blending of traditions and the role of art in reclaiming and celebrating identity.

You can find her work on Massive Magazine here: https://issuu.com/massivemagazine/docs/immigrant_refugee

Her instagram handle is @babeyb0i

**TRIGGER WARNING: MENTION OF RAPE**

We explore the stark differences between the education systems of New Zealand and the Philippines. We talk about how the Māori community preserving their culture and language is an inspiration, and we highlight the need for a more inclusive New Zealand histories curriculum from the Māori perspective.

We also discuss the discrimination faced by highly qualified Filipino professionals in New Zealand, who often find themselves working in jobs unrelated to their degrees or working for free to gain local experience.

Join us in an eye-opening conversation about cultural preservation, educational disparities, and the challenges faced by immigrants in the workplace.

In this special episode, we commemorate Philippine Independence Day by delving into our complex colonial history. Join us as we reflect on a poignant quote by national hero Jose Rizal about losing our culture during Spanish colonisation. We also take you to the Philippine Independence Day event in Auckland, where we conducted a lively vox pop. Listen in as attendees share what this celebration means to them and test their knowledge with some fun questions about Philippine history. Celebrate with us, in hopes this helps deepen your understanding of this significant day in Filipino heritage.