Empower Indigenous Voices Around the World

Pinctada Pearl Productions is a student-run production company through the International Social Justice Documentary course at Villanova University. This October 2024, our group of 23 is traveling for two weeks to the Philippines to edify our understanding of the island communities in Halian and Boracay.

In donating to our production, we ask you to consider key reflections that we hope to elicit within the viewers of our project: what does community mean to you, and how can you contribute to the legacy and preservation of a culture that is not your own?

The Philippines consists of 7,641 islands, each with their own unique culture, history, and language that are formed and preserved within communities. “Bayanihan,” a Filipino word and cultural concept that refers to a spirit of communal unity and cooperation, is the driving force of this film. We aim to showcase the distinctive communities on each island as they continue in their fight for self-preservation.

Seeds We Bury tells the story of the Ati Tribe of the Philippines and the Shinnecock Nation of the United States—two indigenous island communities separated by oceans, yet united in the preservation of land, people, and culture. By questioning the echoes of history and unveiling the pulse of the present, this documentary reveals that the fight against greed, genocide, and erasure of Indigeous Peoples is not a buried past, but a sprouting present. Woven from the threads of land, identity, and resistance, this story follows the multigenerational battle of these two communities as their journey becomes a testament to survival, a tribute to heritage, and the hope for justice.

Lady follows the story of a young activist born and raised on a remote island in the Philippines called Halian. After Super Typhoon Odette, Lady Carmel P. Litang, 25, is faced with challenges beyond the tumultuous road to higher education or government neglect–she embraces the burden of seeking solutions for the daily consequences of climate change. Facing a future full of personal and global uncertainty, Lady takes us on her journey to protect the people and place she loves the most.

Telling these stories to the world is important to our group. We are passionate about using the power of documentary filmmaking to create meaningful relationships and to make a change. With these funds, our group will be able to empower the people of these communities, and allow them to share their stories and perspectives with the world.