Winner Announced for the IEFTA/IEFTF Dhaka DocLab €2000 Cash Award 2024

A FAITHFUL LOVE

PHILIPPINES

Directed & Produced by Josh Lomahan

A Faithful Love is a personal documentary of my family’s caregiving experience looking after my grandmother Evie since her Alzheimer’s diagnosis eight years ago. Told through personal narrations and conversations, it tells the story of love of the four characters navigating personal and familial issues in the midst of caregiving challenges. Things take a turn as my family face on the end-stage of Grandma Evie’s dementia while Aunt Dolor and Grandpa Faus suffers the effect of neglecting their health conditions, Cousin Alodia takes on the pressure of being the primary caregiver in the midst of her first year in college, and I, negotiates the idea of settling down in my 30s. The past years bear witness to how the four of us slowly lose our identities and struggle to carry on with our own lives when caregiving. Being the frustrated caregiver who looks after fellow “nurses,” I’ve come to realize that we all need a day-off. The family carers are then taken out of the home for respite and reflection. The journey takes on through short trips tailored after each individual’s idea of healing: for Grandpa Faus, a short trip back to the province where he meets with relatives and old friends; for Aunt Dolor, on a beach since she has been craving for a peaceful sleep; for Cousin Alodia, a place where she can feel like a real teenager, a K-Pop Concert; and for me, in Jeddah where I confront my issues with some absentee family members.

The film prompts us to actively confront our aspirations for equal treatment in the family, burdens of gender roles, treatment for worsening health conditions, and eventually, acceptance of grandma’s demise. Looking back, the four us reflect on the privilege of having cared for each other and what it means to love faithfully.

Josh Lomahan(Philippines)

DIRECTOR & PRODUCER
Josh Lomahan is an independent filmmaker and educator based in Manila, Philippines. He has worked as an editor, cinematographer, and production manager for short fiction projects and recently made his directorial debut with Dolor (2023). The film has been recognized by local festivals, including the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Gawad Alternatibo. He was also selected as a delegate for Platform BUSAN 2023 at the Busan International Film Festival, South Korea.

Currently, Josh is developing his first full-length documentary, A Faithful Love. He has pitched the project to international producers, during the Kota Kinabalu International Film Festival 2023, Malaysia and recently, winning the International Emerging Film Talent Association (IEFTA) Award at Dhaka DocLab 2024, Bangladesh. He is also a film faculty member at Mapua University, the College of Saint Benilde, and CIIT College of Arts and Technology, three of the country’s leading schools offering film and multimedia programs.