What happens when the loss of a parent in childhood leaves more questions than answers? In this episode, I'm chatting with Alvin Carpio, film maker and campaigner as we explore his journey to the Philippines in 2022 to retrace the life of his late father who died when Alvin was 9 years old.

Through the lens of childhood bereavement, we follow Alvin in his film 'Rites' on his emotional pilgrimage to the country his father called home. Piecing together memory, his father's and his own identity and what continuing a bond with him now looks like. Alvin shares with us in this episode the layers, complexities and journey of what it is like to be a bereaved child and how that experience has shaped him throughout his life.

About Alvin:

Alvin Carpio is a campaigner and filmmaker. He is the founder of the School of Social Justice and director of rites, a short documentary film about childhood bereavement, grief, and healing. Born and raised in Newham, East London, Alvin’s work is currently focused on how people can face their demons in order to achieve liberation — drawing from his own journey of confronting grief to find freedom and purpose.

Watch Rites:

I really hope you enjoyed this episode and through Alvin's story have perhaps felt inspired to explore what storytelling is to you. To watch Rites for free on Youtube on Father's Day, follow the link below to register:

https://schoolofsocialjustice.com/register-for-rites/

As mentioned in the episode, it is now confirmed that the World Premiere of Rites will take place on Friday 13 June 2025 at a beautiful, state-of-the-art cinema at UCL East, One Pool Street Cinema, in Newham, East London. If you would like to attend, please email [email protected] with the subject like: “World Premiere”.

Big love,

Amber xxx

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