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Voyage

Voyage is a coming-of-age dance film about Filipina women. It tells our stories as Filipina folk dancers growing up in Canada and finding community with one another through dance. Set within significant Asian-Canadian landmarks in Mississauga, the film draws inspiration from Indigenous Maranao fan dance styles from the southern Philippines. Fan dancing is an expression of femininity, reflecting the body and soul through fluid, graceful movements. Following a main character in her journey through womanhood, the film explores vulnerability, sisterhood, and growth. Voyage encapsulates the universal experience of self-discovery, showcasing the transformative power of dance in fostering community and belonging.

  • Candace Kumar
    Director
  • Ian Simon
    Director
  • Candace Kumar
    Writer
  • Mississauga Arts Council
    Producer
  • Folklorico Filipino Canada
    Producer
  • Ian Simon
    Cinematography
  • Christal Bautista
    Key Cast
  • Jessica Noriel
    Key Cast
  • Caitlyn Maramba
    Key Cast
  • Diana Reyes
    Key Cast
  • Candace Kumar
    Key Cast
  • Faye Roncesvalles
    Key Cast
  • Kaye Peñaflor
    Key Cast
  • Epidemic Sound
    Music
  • Project Type:
    Other
  • Runtime:
    8 minutes 11 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 16, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    5,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Candace Kumar, Ian Simon

Candace Kumar

Candace Kumar is a Filipino/Indo-Fijian dance artist based in Mississauga. She specializes in Filipino folk dance, practicing diverse styles from all across the Philippines. Her work aims to reimagine traditional dance forms from the Canadian diaspora. She believes traditional dance is not an art form of the past but can guide us through the future as we navigate life on land that is not our ancestral home.

Candace is a graduate of the University of Toronto and is currently an instructor and principal dancer for Folklorico Filipino Canada. Candace has worked with Little Pear Garden Dance Company, Anandam Dance Theatre, Nova Dance Company, Creativiva Entertainment, Nautanki Creations, HATAW, A La Una, Han Han and more. Some of her notable performances include the 2015 Pan Am and Parapan Am Games, Nuit Blanche, SummerWorks Festival, and international festivals in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Mexico, Alaska, and the Czech Republic.

Ian Simon

Ian is an independent filmmaker with 4+ years of experience in producing, directing, and capturing short films, dance films, music videos, commercials, and documentaries. Ian has a wide array of skillsets that he utilizes in the filmmaking process including but not limited to creating treatments, storyboarding, location scouting, and more. He is also proficient with the use of programs such as Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, Illustrator, Photoshop & color grading using DaVinci Resolve. He has worked on multiple different projects within smaller-scale productions but is always eager to learn and meet new people in the industry. He always brings a positive and outgoing attitude to the environments he's placed in.

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Director Statement

Dance is how I navigate my identity as a mixed Asian artist on Turtle Island. I started Filipino folk dance when I was ten years old; unable to speak my parents' language, dance was how I expressed love for my culture. I learned how to fan dance as a young woman, taught by my Ates (elder sisters), whom I was fascinated by their elegance. They helped me embrace my womanhood through fans.

I created Voyage to share our stories as Filipina dancers. To share how fan dancing helped us become the woman we are today. All the women in the film have been dancing together for decades and from different generations, and we've all played a part in each others coming of age. Community is at the core of our practice.

The name Voyage has a dual meaning; it symbolizes inspiration from the Maranao-interpreted dance "Voyage to Mindanao," a number we all learned as young women, and then the voyage through womanhood. I decided to open the film at the Mississauga Chinese Centre because we didn't have any Filipino cultural centres when I was growing up. And we didn't have any Filipino fan stores, so we bought our fans at centres like this. And for many Filipino-Canadian families like mine, Chinese centres, grocery stores, markets and food were a big part of our upbringing.

I hope Voyage brings some softness and warmth to your day. I hope it inspires young women to pick up a pair of fans and find their beauty within it. I hope this film sheds light on Filipino-Canadian upbringings.