ABOUT THIS EPISODE
The filmmaker Joella Cabalu discusses her new documentary First Comes Love: Nakabingwit, which debuts at the Vancouver International Film Festival, with Joseph Planta.
Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta:
I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.
Joella Cabalu joins me again. The filmmaker has a new movie out having its world premiere at the Vancouver International Film Festival, First Comes Love: Nakabingwit. It’s described as a hybrid documentary that follows women in the Filipino diaspora as they confront love and race within and without their romantic relationships. Joella, who wrote and directed the film, poses questions to these couples, whether its political, the challenge of raising mixed race children, or how to contend with white privilege and racist encounters. The conversations captured in the film are intimate, emotional, heartfelt, thoughtful, and edifying. The film is framed with a sort of meet cute reenactment of Joella and her partner, the role of Joella is played by Gabrielle Jacinto. In those parts it looks like a rom-com that evolves into the discussions Joella and her partner Luka have during the pandemic, when incidences of hate confound our wider world. The film reminds us of the subjects we’d like to break out in the open and discuss, but have heretofore haven’t. And if there’s progress, or even evolution, it’s ever so slightly. I’ll ask Ms. Cabalu about the film she intended to make and the conversations large and intimate that it will provoke. Joella Cabalu first appeared on the program in 2016 when her debut documentary It Runs in the Family screened at the Queer Film Festival. She’ssince appeared to talk about her documentary Koto: The Last Service, which debuted at DOXA, and a short Ode to a Seafaring People that aired on Knowledge Network. Her own website is at www.joellacabalu.com. The film screens at least three times at the Vancouver International Film Festival. There are screenings the evening of Saturday, 03 October 2026 at SFU Woodwards, and the afternoons of October 7th and 10th. Visit www.viff.org for tickets and information. It’s at any one of these screenings where you’ll find out what the word ‘nakabingwit’ means. In the spirit of full candour, the film’s Director of Photography is my cousin Peter Planta. The film is a National Film Board of Canada production. I spoke to Joella, who joined me from here in Vancouver last week. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Joella Cabalu; Ms. Cabalu, good morning.
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