Rochelle Cruz

Thank You Quezon City!

Thank You Quezon City! is a looping, single-channel 2D animation that explores what it’s like to grow up in Canada as a second-generation, diasporic, Filipino-Canadian immigrant in honour of my late grandfather, Papa Nic, who passed away in November 2020. Highlighting several memories of daily life, this animation short encapsulates the ups and downs of growing up alongside an aging immigrant grandfather and coming to terms with diaspora and the feeling of loss. From childhood to adulthood, the short follows myself as I go through her life with my grandfather, Papa Nic, ultimately ending with me trying to learn how to move on after losing him.Using a loose, textured, black and white style, as well as playing with opacity and pops of colour that are reminiscent of the colours in the Filipino and Canadian flags (red, blue, yellow and white), Thank You Quezon City! captures a feeling of nostalgia, and memories or rather the loss of details in memories as time passes by. The title is a phrase that my grandfather taught me and reflects the lighthearted nature of this film and the shared experiences of my grandfather and I learning from eachother and with eachother.