Becoming Labrador (2019) - full transcript

[soft instrumental music]

[waves crashing]

[traffic sounds]

EDETA: When time comes,
my son turns five,

it's about time to
leave the country

and it's hard at first
because there's no mom

or mother wants to leave
their small ones.

As my brother told me
when I leave that day,

don't bring any pictures,
don't look back.

I go there because I want to
work. I go there because

my family were going
to starve to death



if I'm not going
to help them.

[rain pours]

REY: It's really
hard to leave them.

Still fresh in my memory;
my memory, that night.

GEREMY: When I was 10 years
old, going to the airport.

I was on his side, hugging
him, like we're in chain,

like I won't
let him go.

[plane engine drones]

REY: When I feel the plane lift
off, I cried there but...

I have to be strong.

KUKAI: My plane from the
Philippines to Toronto is big plane

then transferred over to a
little bit smaller plane

going to St. John's and then

drop off some
of the passengers



and get the passengers
again.

What is that?
It's just like a bus.

KUKAI: And then there's
no buildings no more.

I cannot see anything
now, all snow.

[inspirational instrumental
music]

[Inuit throat singing]

[wings flap]

[music swells]

[utility truck beeps]

[snowmobiles roar]

[ringing]

REY:
Hello.

Hello?

REY: I'm living in my
imagination every day.

My mind is still there
in the Philippines.

Without Skype or Facebook,
it's like

living in another planet or
something, without them.

I see them every day after
work, before work but most of

the time when I wake up,
they are sleeping.

When they wake up,
I'm sleeping.

REY:
Hello, hello.

I talk to my wife and
I still keep talking,

then suddenly I hear that she
is already asleep, snoring.

It's like in a movie
sometimes, I hold my pillow

and I told my daughter,
"This is you, I hug you."

It's like a
normal thing.

"Papa, bye, we're going
to school now."

Then I kiss the camera and
they will kiss the camera.

REY:
Bye.

I look at them, that's enough
for me, I will survive.

[melancholic guitar music]

GEREMY:

[sad instrumental music]

KUKAI: It took me a year
and a half before I adjusted

to my work, to the people that
surround me, to this place.

[bar music]

[people chattering]

KUKAI: On my first summer
here, I was working at a bar,

I was assaulted
by a woman.

There is one time happening
also they telling me, "Hey you"

"little Filipino, why are
you are doing here,"

"why you getting our
job? Better go home."

And then some girls saying the
same thing, "Oh no you're not"

"supposed to be here, you FU-"

I'm Filipino, they
say like that,

"You are supposed to
be go back home."

KUKAI:
You want another beer?

PATRON:
No, I'm good, darling.

KUKAI:
Woo-hoo.

[people chattering]

I met my husband Rena when
I was working at a Bar.

I don't know what made
him interested in me.

I'm just only a small
Filipino girl,

they called me like that,

a small Filipino girl
working at a bar.

"Why you here," they say. I say,
"Mind your own business."

RENA: I started talking to her
a little bit and she was busy

working so I couldn't
talk much and...

later on that night,

I stopped her for
a couple seconds,

just asking her when
she works again.

I was like, almost a month
trying to get her number.

[both laugh]

[romantic music]

KUKAI: I always told everybody
that I didn't expect to have

a foreign boyfriend or husband
because I don't like it.

RENA: She told me
that all the time.

[both laugh]

She wanted a Filipino
man, but she met me.

You get your people that don't
really like it and you get your

people that don't mind
it and then you get me,

falling in love with
a Filipino woman.

[snowmobile sounds]

My name is Renatus Hunter,
Rena for short and I'm Inuit,

a Native.

Inuit people, they pretty
well live off the land.

They do the hunting and
they do the fishing.

Go off into the woods and cut a
load of wood for wood stove.

Inuit people do a
lot with the land.

[happy music]

EPITACIA:
I came to Labrador in 1965.

I just wanted

to see what's in the other
side of the world,

adventure, sort of.

I applied to three
Canadian provinces

for work but Newfoundland
was the only place to offer

me a free flight
one-way.

I went to the Embassy in
Manila for my interview

and I asked them "Where
is North West River"

"and where is Labrador?"
And they had no idea.

I thought it was connected
to Ecuador because of the

sound of the words.

Ecuador, Labrador, that's how
much I knew about the place.

Father Charlie met me at
the airport in Goose Bay

and he drove me to
North West River.

The road was barely wide enough
for one car in those days.

It was just a pathway for
hunters, it turned like this

and this, curves, curves.

There was no bridge across
the river either.

Father Pearson was waiting
for me there with a canoe.

I thought, "Oh my
god, where am I?"

[water sounds]

I was wearing a skirt, I had
high heeled shoes on my feet.

[percussive beats]

My first job was teaching
in Sheshatshiu.

I was boarding in a trailer
across the river

and I had to take the
cable car to get to work.

It was a little orange box
with a tiny window

to look out as you
crossed the river.

Everything was
so close in there;

it was the same size
as a coffin.

Whenever someone from away
came to visit the school,

they asked if I was from
Davis or from Sheshatshiu.

I looked native to them,
like an Inuit

and I didn't mind, I like them,
and they're good people.

I liked how they live, I
felt at home with them.

[chimes ring]

EPITACIA: I got a letter
from Papa once a month or so.

I miss them of course
but what could I do?

I was in Labrador on the
other side of the world.

I couldn't go back.

And besides, I was
enjoying it.

I remember the first
time it snowed.

I went outside and held out
my hands to touch the snow

and I tasted it and
said, "So this is snow."

I was already falling
in love I guess,

but I didn't know it yet.

[angelic music swell]

[wind blows]

[plows roar]

MAN: Hello.
I'm on a flight to Nain.

EDETA: Hi.
And how many passengers?

Just me.

Just you.

EDETA: When I get my letter
or notice that I was approved

as a permanent residence,
together with my family,

they will be joining
with me.

I think that's the perfect
birthday gift I ever had.

Two and a half years I got
my husband and my son over.

ABIEL: I was really
happy to see her and

how much she grew and
how much she got taller.

Oh, thank you.

EDETA: My life is so busy;
we both have two jobs.

Some people thought
here, locals,

they feel that
we are greedy because

some of us have
two, three jobs.

It's just because some
of them are helping

their family
back home.

ABIEL: Math, more stuff and
oh, I got homework, see?

ADETA:
Do you have a test?

EDETA: When he first came to Canada,
he's kind of excited and sad.

He asked me, "How about
Grandma, Mom?"

I said, "I'm going to bring you
first and Dad because"

"I couldn't afford to bring
Grandma, but don't you worry,"

"I'm going to bring
Grandma soon."

Since birth, after two months
I went back to work.

It was my mom who looked
after my son.

She's really close to
my son, to Abiel.

ABIEL: At first, I was really sad
that she went but after like a year

I kind of got over
it because

Grandma was there because
she's like my mom

and she takes care of me
and she gives me stuff,

she disciplines me
a lot and yeah.

But I still missed
my mom being gone.

EDETA: My godmother told me that
your mom was really like devastated

and really sad and depressed
when you get a job but somehow

she understand that you
need to take your son.

[church bell rings]

So since then I'm kind of
wondering because my mom

loses a
lot of weight.

We give her money

to go to the doctor,
what she did is

to give it to her sister
who is needing money

or to give it to
my brothers.

At that point of her
life it seems that

it doesn't matter anymore.

[boots crunch in snow]

EDETA: It was my sister's birthday,
I found out my Mom is sick,

she has leukemia.

I set up an account to
save money for her

and I said to my son,
"Abiel, you just pray always"

"for Grandma that she
will get better"

"because I'm still
dreaming of having her"

"with me here in Canada,
which I promised to her."

CHOIR: ♪ I was sinking deep in
sin, far from the peaceful shore. ♪

♪ Very deeply stained within,
sinking to rise no more. ♪

♪ But the master of the sea
heard my despairing cry. ♪

♪ From the waters lifted
me, Now safe am I. ♪♪

REY: There's a place
here in Goose Bay,

it's a window,
church window,

it's telling me something
about the five jars.

The three jars are my kids

and the two jars
are me and my wife.

Every time I get a chance,
I'll go there.

I haven't seen my family
for almost four years.

I think I'm the longest
application here.

I didn't know it
would take this long.

I thought I can go back,
maybe just a year.

I have to secure first
the paper before

I go back to
the Philippines,

to have a visa.

Hi, how are you? CLERK:
Hi.

CLERK:
Good and yourself?

Did you find everything
you were looking for?

Yes.

REY: And I thought it was
okay now but didn't happen.

I wait another
four months.

[uplifting music]

[Edeta hums]

KUKAI: Edeta is the one
singing a song for our wedding.

I was nervous,

at the same time, happy,
at the same, sad,

mixed emotion because
my family is not here.

They are watching through
Skype that day.

OFELIA: When the time Kukai
get married there in Canada,

the time here in Philippines
is 10 o'clock in the evening.

We got to sleep three
o'clock in the morning.

KUKAI:
I'm walking down the aisle

and a lot of people
are looking at me,

they're all crying because
I'm walking alone.

One of my friends is
holding the laptop

and while I'm walking
my mom is teary eyed.

They said, "Oh, your
mom is crying."

I heard them and then I burst
out crying in front of people.

I said, "Why do you say that?"

Because here in Philippines if
you get married, you cannot walk

in the aisles, you walk with
your father, with your mother

or your brother or your sister,
together in the aisles, yes.

That's why I cry because when
I saw Kukai on the computer

walking alone in the aisles,
I get malungkot, malungkot.

I get sad.

KUKAI:
Everything, perfect;

for me, it was perfect.

I see my mom, she was
crying and happy for us.

I said, "Okay, we're going to
see you soon, I promise that."

[Kukai sings in Filipino]

KUKAI:
Come on, sing.

I didn't know that
I was pregnant.

On our wedding day,
I didn't know that.

KUKAI:
Not cold?

A new chapter of my life in
the first year of Kelaiah.

KUKAI: Go, fishy fishy.
Come on, careful.

RENA:
Go fishing, look.

Fishing with Dada.

RENA: I think it's
hard for her because

she's away from
her family.

Four years, but I am always
away from home

because I'm an overseas
worker...

KELAIAH:
Some more, Mommy.

since 2000... She wants
some more.

but this time having
your own family,

away from home is really
a big deal for me.

My Mom is not on my side
especially during the time

that I gave birth to
her and it was a cesarean,

so sometimes I cried,
"I want my mom here."

KUKAI: Kelaiah is in
the Bible in Exodus 22.

She is the one saying to
people, let's gather together.

EPITACIA:
So this is it.

EPITACIA: I pray for all my friends
and sisters, even the dead ones,

I have to pray for
their souls.

I never planned to stay
here for good.

After 10 years I thought
maybe it's time for a change.

So I went to Quebec.

I like it there but I
didn't speak French.

I went to Saskatchewan
and it was so flat.

The roads went on forever
so I went to Toronto.

It was so busy; I didn't
last a year there.

When I came back
the third time,

I told the School Board,

"You can send me anywhere, as
long as it's in Labrador."

And they sent me
to Davis Inlet.

Alban was driving heavy
equipment in Davis

when I taught there,

clearing snow off the
runway at the Airstrip.

[dog barking]

I told him that I'm
older than you

and there's lots of single
girls who are also teachers

and younger than me.

That was 1984 we got married and
we just finished celebrating

our 31st wedding anniversary.

[dreamlike instrumental music]

[birds chirp]

REY: When I see the
message in my inboxes,

I thought it was a scam,
so I almost delete it.

REY:
Hello.

[muffled voice from phone]

No, a passport too.

[Rey cries]

REY: It's about visa that
finally, Canada approved my papers

that my family can come
here and live here.

It's a dream come true.

I will book a flight
right away.

[truck engine roars]

[inspirational instrumental
music]

[jet engine roars]

[people chattering]

[inspirational instrumental
music]

RUBY:
I missed him so much

because it's difficult
to have no husband

to take care of my kids

but deep inside I'm
happy because

our future will be
there already.

This is where we eat together
and this is my place.

When I'm in Canada someone
took my place,

it's Gabriel, he took
my place here.

And this is our kitchen.

Not really finished.

Closet.

We live here,
we sleep together.

We're five persons
here.

And we sleep maybe three of
us here and two there.

After school they just sit here
and talk to me on the screen.

So it's like four years
we're living...

I'm living inside
that screen.

This is Geremy,

my handsome son.

And he's tall now.

When I left him, he's
just like this tall

but now he's taller
than me.

[Rey speaks Filipino]

REY: When I'm in Canada,
I always wanted to have

my son close to me.

I didn't experience
this bond...

because I didn't
have a father,

I didn't have a mother.

My dad died March and
I was born in May

so my dad didn't saw me.

My mother at that time
maybe she's confused,

maybe she don't know
if she can,

she can raise me.

So, my mother gave
me to my auntie,

so my auntie raised me.

My aunt is sick now in Japan,
I wish I could be with her.

[Geremy speaks Filipino]

[Ruby speaks Filipino]

GEREMY: I was a bit sad
and happy when leaving.

Our grandmother take care of
us when we were children.

And just feeling like I was
back in 10 years old

and I was thinking
it was my Dad.

I'm leaving here again
and it was like

feeling the same
thing as before.

[soft instrumental music]

[plane engine drone]

[plane engine drone]

RUBY: And then
when we came here,

first time I'm nervous

because this is our
new journey.

We need to have
a new home.

[water babbles]

[soft guitar music]

EPITACIA:
Yeah, okay, that's good.

Don't die on me,
my dear one.

EPITACIA:
After I came to Labrador,

I sent a cheque home
to my father every

month to help put my brothers
and sisters through school.

When my father was dying,
I couldn't get home.

I spoke to him
on the phone.

I said, "I'm sorry, Papa,
I can't afford the flight."

I told him I was praying for
him, that was all I could do.

I didn't get home for
the funeral either.

When my mother got sick,
I made up my mind;

I was flying back to the
Philippines to see her.

She was old then and
her mind was going.

She didn't recognize most
of my brothers and sisters.

I went in to the room with her
and my sister pointed at me,

she said: "Ma, do you recognize
her?" "Yeah, that's Epitacia,"

"she helped a lot
in our family."

[Epitacia laughs]

[contemplative instrumental
music]

At least I helped them out,
that makes me feel good.

EDETA: April is the time when
my mom is having her chemo.

They called me, that
my brother, Jacob

was rushed to
the hospital.

When Jacob was dead on
arrival to the hospital,

my mom's blood pressure
went down.

I begged the doctor: give me one
more chance to see my mom alive

and to let her feel that
how much I love her.

Because the doctor
first talked to me,

if I will pay them
to inject her,

a medication that will
keep her alive.

I said, "Do whatever you
can, I'm going to pay,"

and that day I decided
to go home

until my godmother
spoke to me

and tell me that, "I think you
need to give up your mom."

Even though she always tell
me that she love me,

she's proud of
me but still,

I had plans to bring
her over, see?

I even give her encouragement
that you should be better

because I'm going
to bring you over.

ABIEL: I was really
surprised and I was very sad

that someone I've been for like
four years, passed away.

It was really shocking
for me.

EDETA: When my mother and brother
passed away, I feel God like

rejecting me that day, I even
asked God why,

I questioned him.

It seems like I have everything
but I don't have my Mom,

I don't have my brother.

It's hard to, to be successful
but without the person that you

want to offer your
success;

it didn't mean
anything to you anymore.

KUKAI: This afternoon we went
out to the Aboriginal Day

and we went out with Ana
Beatrice and her Auntie Tootoo.

"Anaanatsiaq" language
means grandmother.

ANA BEATRICE:
Where's momma?

[incoherent speech]

WOMAN: What you do is you hit the
drum this side, then this side.

It's important for me too, that
she will be exposed to the

culture of her Dad,
like the Aboriginal culture

and to my culture, the
Filipino culture.

I want her to know
where she came from.

That's why we call her
Fil-nuit, Filipino Inuit.

RENA: Give me a kiss.
Give me a kiss.

[Kelaiah laughs]

Come on. Oh.

Give me a kiss.

Love you.

Love you.

KUKAI: Last month Rena's mom
was arrested for protesting

at Muskrat Falls.

I'll call you after.

Goodbye. Say bye, Dad.

PROTESTOR: Tell me what
democracy looks like.

ALL: This is what
democracy looks like.

PROTESTOR: Tell me what
democracy looks like.

ALL: This is what
democracy looks like.

PROTESTORS:
Make Muskrat right!

Make Muskrat right!

Make Muskrat right!

Make Muskrat right!

KUAKAI: Everybody knows that
my mother-in-law is trying to

protect us,
especially Kelaiah.

The water can be poison and
people is always doing fishing

in here; that is their
life, the water.

It's hard as a family,
especially Rena

is working also
in Muskrat Falls,

and it's hard for him.

And I know it's hard for my
mother in-law that she's

protesting but her son is
working at the Muskrat Falls.

But we believe in her
and we support her.

[rain pours]

There are changes now, for
the Filipino community.

Before, we're 50

but now I think we're almost
a hundred plus now.

A lot of Filipino is good.

There's a good thing and
there's a bad thing.

If a lot of Filipino's, there
is a lot of gossip

from people around.

But for me it's okay,
for me it's a family.

[people chattering]

EDETA: The first
time Abiel was here,

he had a bit of
rough time.

One day he went home crying
because someone is calling

name on him like "big eyes",
stuff like that.

Come on, Abiel!

ABIEL: Yeah,
I was a little shy at first

but after like a couple
months, I adjusted to it.

Studying isn't that
hard for me.

I mean sometimes I get like
a mark lower than what I want

but that's okay
for me.

ABIEL: When I first went to
soccer, I didn't have any friends

but then I started getting
a lot of friends.

EDETA: I was thankful and blessed
the Lord I have a great son

who is so smart and so
understanding and loving.

They told me my mom really
raised him well.

[soft instrumental music]

[ringing]

KUKAI:
Hello.

Say, "Hi, Lola."

Hi, Lola.

How are you?

How are you?
I'm Batman!

I'm Batgirl! Something for you.

She has something
for you.

Who is that? Tita, your
niece. Say, "Hi, Tita."

[both speak Filipino]

KUKAI: When I was young,
I was living with my grandmother

and grandfather because
Mom is working abroad too.

[Kukai speaks Filipino]

Can I talk to,
our language?

[Kukai speaks Filipino]

KUKAI: I want to knew her more
like now that she's different now.

RENA:
Hello.

OFELIA: I miss you,
I'm waiting for you.

I miss you too.

Hello.

KUKAI: We're planning to
go back in Philippines

this coming December.
We'll book our ticket.

We're hoping that when we come
back, we come back with my mom.

KUKAI:
Say, "Hi, Lola."

KELAIAH:
Hi, Lola.

[jet engine roars]

[energetic instrumental music]

KUKAI: It's a big
difference before and now.

But now it's really, really
busy, lots of malls, everywhere.

[energetic instrumental
music]

[traffic sounds]

RENA: There's a lot of people.
It's crazy.

There's points there where
we couldn't even walk;

We had to wait for
other people

to move so
we could walk.

I didn't like
that part.

Yeah, it's been pretty
good here,

I like it so far.

Being here in the Philippines
and meeting all Kukai's family.

It's been nice.

[Man speaks Filipino]

[Everyone speaks Filipino]

[Kukai speaks Filipino]

KUKAI: I never asked my
mom about her past because

I know she don't want
to talk about that.

[Kukai speaks Filipino]

But I heard she'd
been in Cyprus.

One time when I ask her,
she told me that she went

to Japan too, but
she was a singer.

[Ofelia speaks Filipino]

OFELIA: Yes, I work
before, in Europe.

My kids are very
young, also Kukai

but then when I come there
I cannot be comfortable.

I feel sad of course.

My kids before I leave

to my mother because
she very young,

my mother, that's
why I leave there.

Section C, brother
and sister.

KUKAI: When my mother
come back home,

I remember I was 12 years
old already that time.

I don't know how to feel
because I don't know her.

Yeah, I know she's my Mom but
there's a space between us.

I grew up without father, I
didn't know him ever since.

So, I asked my grandmother
where he is

and my grandmother didn't told
us anything about him.

And I cannot ask
my mom because

she's not here to explain
everything.

It's still empty, I'm
looking for something.

[waves whoosh]

That's why I ask
Rena that

if we're together,

we need to work on our marriage
because I don't want Kelaiah

feel the same thing.

[waves whoosh]

[upbeat percussive music]

BEATRICE:
Yay!

Yay!

Hi.

BEATRICE:
Hi.

Sometimes she will
call you Tita.

KELAIAH:
Car, Mama! My car's here!

RENA'S SISTER:
Okay, there's Ana.

KUKAI:
Oh, you know the car.

[Rey chops]

[Ruby stirs]

GABRIEL:
Miss Quigley.

Miss?

Quigley.

Quickly?

[Gabriel laughs]

Quigley. Quigley.

Quickly?

[Gabriel laughs]

REY:
Quickly. Quickly.

Quickly.

Quigley.

Quig-

Q-U-I-G-L-E-Y.

Ah, Quigley.

[both laugh]

[soft instrumental music]

REY: Grethel, Gabe and Geremy,
they are all good in school.

They didn't say they got
bullied but I'm worried

because in social media
I know there is bullying.

[bus engine idles]

Geremy, he got the 9th
grade and I believe in him.

Sometimes I text him,
"How's your school?

"Are you alright? You don't
have any problem?"

He said, "No, why?"

[bus breaks squeak]

Ruby's schedule now is from
Monday to Friday nine to one

at the Dollar Store and two
to eight at the Gift Shop

at the Airport with me.

I work two to nine every day,
no day off in two weeks.

[people sing a hymn]

KUKAI: So far so good,
back to normal and I started to work now.

My relationship to
my mom before and

now is really big difference.

When I started working abroad,
I understand everything,

the hard work that
she did for us.

We're hoping she can visit
at least three months,

maybe before end
of this year.

[Kelaiah cries]

I'm coming baby, yeah, here
now, come on down.

I think now my family in
Philippines is second.

And my first priority
now is my now family,

my little family now, Hunter
family, Rena and Kelaiah,

that is my strength now.

[soft music with chimes]

[shoes crunch in snow]

GEREMY: My parents keep saying,
"Keep studying; show us some good"

"grades so you can
have a better future."

I was thinking of to want to
be a pilot or go in military,

like piloting
a jet like that.

[choir sings]

I want to be a pilot,
go around the world

so I can bring them
wherever they want to.

Every time we go outside, we're
still, we're so much happy.

[all laugh]

REY: We're planning to stay
in Goose Bay at this moment.

We will think about this when my
eldest son's going to college,

because we don't want
to be apart,

we stick together.

[piano music]

[snowmobile roars]

EPITACIA:
When I retired from teaching,

I bought this house in
North West River.

You can see the mountains
from here and the water

and the trees.

All the things I missed
whenever I left Labrador

and all the things I wanted
to come home to.

Jamie come. Come here.

Just a minute, just
a minute, come on.

Ah, ah, ah! Come here.

EPITACIA: This dog,
he is part Newfoundland dog,

part Labrador Retriever.

He was headed for
the dump, this one.

Come, come, come. Jamie,
come over her. come.

My godchild passed a woman
on the road to Goose Bay,

and she had a litter
of puppies with her.

She was on her way to
the dump to drop them,

to get rid of them.

He stopped to talk to the woman
as he went by and for some

reason he took one of the
little dogs with him.

He got home, he called
me, "Auntie Pitt, he said,

"do you want a puppy?"

EPITACIA:
Sing.

[Epitacia hums]

EPITACIA:
Sing.

[Jamie howls]

[Epitacia hums]

Sing.

EPITACIA: It's a mystery how we
end up where we are in the world.

[inspiring instrumental
music]