Director's statement

Ponce in Kimono traces Mariano Ponce’s life in Yokohama as an emissary to Japan (1898-1901). He was a key figure in the Philippine independence movement, and considerably the most low profile among our national heroes. The film I made contains scenes in New Zealand where I did the initial research for this project (while teaching at the University of Auckland). I began searching articles in both printed and online collections of the university library as early as 2022. I then combed digital archives of old Japanese newspapers in search for evidences of Ponce's activities in Yokohama, and to understand how his journalism and publishing experience in La Solidaridad resonated through his emissary work in Japan. I found a few compelling materials that piqued my interest. But I knew that there were more things out there waiting to be discovered. The project remained idle in my desktop folder for a few years until I got the time, opportunity, and motivation to actually film the project. In August of 2024, after a few months of scheduling, pre-interviews, and lots of research, I saw myself in the busy streets of Japan, shooting this documentary. 

I wandered around the public spaces of Yokohama like an indefatigable traveler. Ponce's letters published in Cartas Sobre La Revolucion became my guideposts in tracing his residence and activities in Yokohama. Although I was filming the project alone, I felt the support of history-loving individuals around me. The beauty of the one-man-band production is that I can shoot the film at my own pace while enjoying my creative freedom. This means that the scenes you will see (or have seen) in the film are the impressions of a first-time traveler. I shot the things that interested me visually and historically. 

The film also features some local story elements in the Philippines, particularly in Baliwag, Ponce's hometown, also my hometown. I have shot documentaries in many places in the Philippines and overseas during my years in TV, but I knew that I must, one day, do a story in Baliwag. As I took some shots of its city life, I realized that after years of living here, I wasn't really paying much attention to details. I passed by the monuments and historical markers in the plaza without reading them, went to the old church without staring at wonderful ceiling artworks, and walked through the pavements without much knowledge of the past. As a young man transitioning into adulthood, I was more eager to explore and learn about my outside world. This film then became my opportunity to repeat the things that I usually do with a fresh set of eyes, ready to be amazed once again.  

My film contains a mixture of minimal narration and spontaneous interactions and banters with film subjects. It also uses a breadth of archival documents to represent the story of Yokohama as a port city and as well as the Revolutionary Government during a difficult moment in Philippine history. Looking back, I should say that I got the inspiration to create this documentary just after the broadcast of our I-Witness documentary Juan Luna in Paris (with Howie Severino). It explored the painter's life in Paris including his dark past. As the director and videographer of this documentary episode, I felt like walking on history, not through it or around it.

Ponce wore a kimono in an 1898 iconic picture with Sun Yat-sen, so called founder of the Republic of China. It was taken inside Ponce's Yokohama residence - the meeting ground of Filipinos and Asian revolutionaries during that period. The picture has intrigued those that have seen it circulating online. It surprised me as well given that Ponce was wearing a kimono, a traditional Japanese attire. And just like many of us, I had no idea that Ponce was sent to Japan during the First Philippine Republic. Perhaps, Ponce wanted to show appreciation for Japan as a nation that could aid the Philippines' quest for complete independence. Or maybe it was a statement of unity and cooperation between Asian nations (part of his pan-Asianist ideology). Many revolutionaries, including Ponce, felt gravitated by Japan's 'Asia for Asians' rhetoric during this period. Whatever the reason was, the photo brought together two historical figures from different countries in a unique visual scenario. The title of this film came from this fascinating backdrop that fueled my imagination for a new documentary.

Although he wore a kimono, a symbol of Japan, Ponce remained dedicated to the Filipino cause. He wrote numerous publications showing his desire for an independent Philippines, and documented the folklore, culture, and identity of the Filipinos. He wanted to preserve what it means to be Filipino in the midst of colonialism. I thought it was a very noble cause. The film, through Ponce's sense of nationalism, gently reminds us that we should also retain the same level of pride, connection, and respect for our own identity. Our contemporary access to global culture means it is now easy to embrace the 'foreign' and displace the local. Here, I found Ponce's body of work dedicated to the preservation of Filipino identity a welcome reminder in this age of global media. This is my take-away for the young audiences of this film.

My journey to Yokohama began as a search for a person, but I discovered more than what I initially looked for. By documenting Ponce's diplomatic efforts in Japan during a critical moment in Philippine history, I understood what it means to cry for freedom and to establish, for the first time, our place in Asia and the world.

- Norman Zafra, director, Ponce in Kimono

Additional resources:

For a list of key sources that I consulted for this project, click here.

To watch the teaser-trailer of the film, click here.

Some notes about the filmmaker are available here.