Dear Watsonville

Dear Watsonville is a response to the erasure of Filipino narratives from mainstream histories, offering an intimate portrayal of resilience in the Pajaro Valley. The film is less a chronicle of the manong’s struggles and more a celebration of their lives as seen through the eyes of their children. By highlighting their daily routines and moments of joy, Dear Watsonville lovingly humanizes the manong, pushing against colonial frameworks that reduce migrant laborers to mere symbols of hardship.

At the heart of the film are edited excerpts from oral history interviews with the manong’s descendants, each offering a window into personal and collective memory. Accompanying these voices are 3 primary visual elements: archival photographs from the Watsonville is in the Heart (WIITH) archive, home footage captured on 8mm film by my grandfather, and evocative illustrations by artists Lauren Song and Juliette Le Saint. These oral histories, often spanning 1-2 hours, are available in full through the WIITH archive, inviting curious viewers to engage more deeply with the stories. The photos in the film are also from the archive, sharing in the archive's commitment to community-based image-making.

Lauren Song served as the lead illustrator for Dear Watsonville. Their hand-drawn illustrations provided the film with a vibrant and personal touch, offering a visual depth that archival photos and footage alone could not achieve. Song’s ability to translate oral histories into tender and evocative imagery helped convey the joys, losses, and resilience of the manong generation.

Juliette Le Saint, serving as the film’s visual development artist, contributed to a range of tasks, including crafting detailed storyboards, hand-drawn animation, and digital painting. Her collaborative approach shaped the film’s aesthetic language, ensuring that each visual decision reinforced the story’s tone. Le Saint’s contributions were foundational in bridging the gap between memory and imagination, elevating the storytelling to new heights.

In Dear Watsonville, memory is embraced not for its strict factual accuracy but for its ability to distill a deeper truth. The interplay between narration, archival images, and illustrations reveals an emotional landscape—one that captures the essence of the manong’s humanity and enduring legacy.