Private Project

don't you forget

Beauty, a trans woman sex worker, drives a motorcycle in the street of Angeles, Pampanga with her wounded boyfriend, Boyet who leans on her back after resisting against a violent transphobic white man. Next day, Beauty finds her house cluttered and realizes her boyfriend has gone missing. Her search for Boyet leads her to the police station and attempts to bail him out of jail. But Beauty confronts her hardest decision: to save her boyfriend or to undergo gender affirming surgery, her long-standing dream.

  • Patrick Pangan
    Director
  • Patrick Pangan
    Writer
  • Joy Jamora
    Producer
  • Dylan Ray Talon
    Producer
  • Serena Magiliw
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Romance, Drama
  • Runtime:
    18 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    April 18, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    2,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Philippines
  • Country of Filming:
    Philippines
  • Language:
    English, Tagalog
  • Shooting Format:
    RED
  • Aspect Ratio:
    21:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Patrick Pangan

Patrick Pangan (b. 2000) is Filipino director, writer and editor in Manila, Philippines.

His films have joined local and international film festivals. His first film “Shapeshifters' received a Film Critics' Citation for Film Excellence at the Bakunawa Cinema of the Young. His film 'We Were Never Really Strangers' was selected in international film festivals such as the 23rd Buenos Aires Film Festival of Independent Cinema (BAFICI), Queer East Film Festival 2023, Queer Film Festival del Carmen and Pelikulaya: International LGBTQIA+ Film Festival. His recent project, 'if you leave me, please let me know' won Best Editing in REALIFILM 2023 and part of the 2nd Sine Halaga.

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Director Statement

The film is a hate letter to the famous Red District of Angeles City, Pampanga, a place where there’s an uphill struggle of trafficking and abuse. It has been a center for “sex tourism” which involves sex work between foreigners and Filipinas who are often trafficked in the trade. These women are forced into the industry due to their economic needs. Since then, I’ve been drawn to the truth of the exploitative and harsh culture of reality in my hometown that remains. Growing up, I always thought that sex work empowers and liberates them, not knowing the jarring threat especially to women and the trans community.

More than ever, the administration wilfully ignores the most vicious acts of violence that the trans community continue to face. These are rooted to the foreign imperial interests where murderers are free to dehumanize and violate the life of Filipinos. This is for our community. This is for Jennifer Laude. This is for the equality that we are fighting for.

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Through the years, I always remembered my youth as a queer where I always find comfort in the dark. Where queer people should always hide because of the danger that the city may bring to us. How the night brings solace. How we can be ourselves when the darkness appears. Now, the film reclaims the space for the community. That we have our own community who has strong solidarity and companionship. Somehow who we can call sisters and brothers. Despite the struggles, we have each other’s back, together fighting for freedom and our rights.

don’t you forget attempts to highlight the queer love stories in spite of the struggles of defining their fate, love and identity. Does it make her less of a woman if she saves her boyfraiend or does it question her love for his boyfriend if chooses to pursue her long standing dream? This is a story about a young trans woman defining womanhood regardless of her decisions.