"Dear Watsonville" is a mixed-media documentary offering an intimate glimpse into the lives of the manong generation, the first generation of Filipino migrants to arrive en masse to the U.S., as seen through the eyes of their children. It unfolds in three distinct vignettes, each focusing on the migration stories and day-to-day experiences of three Filipino families. The film distinguishes itself with its experimental use of community-sourced oral histories, archival images, and hand-drawn illustrations. Together, these elements weave a moving narrative about resilience, placemaking, and childhood.

Director Biography - Sandra Lucille

Sandra is a Filipina Mauritian filmmaker raised in California. Her personal work discusses mixed heritage, Asian diasporic experiences, and how globalization impacts identity. She loves to use mixed media to explore how complex memories and emotions can be communicated through film. In 2020, she was an Armed With A Camera fellow where she created Back to the Source, a film about feeling foreign in one’s home country. Most recently, Sandra was selected to be a 2023 Artist Disruptor by The Center for Cultural Power x California Arts Council. Film and video are Sandra's chosen instruments for change. She hopes her work prompts radical healing and reflection.