«Тұсаукесер»

2002 independent film by Gene Cajayon

The Debut is a 2000 American independent drama film directed and co written by first time Filipino American filmmaker Gene Cajayon. It is the first Filipino American film to be released theatrically nationwide, starting in March 2001 in the San Francisco Bay Area The title of the film refers to the traditional coming of age ceremony accompanying a young woman’s 18th birthday in Filipino culture. The film grossed $1.745 million in limited theatrical release in the United States.

Ben Mercado is a talented high school senior who enrolls in a prestigious arts institute in order to realize his dreams of becoming an artist. However, his plans come into conflict with those of his strict immigrant father Roland, a postal worker intent on seeing Ben become a doctor. Their long simmering feud—for Ben, a struggle to be accepted by America and therefore reject his Filipino heritage; and for Roland, a quest to give his children a better life than he had—threatens to boil over and ruin the elaborate eighteenth birthday party of Ben’s sister Rose. For Ben, Rose’s celebration emerges as a cultural stew of old world traditions and contemporary urban lifestyles, challenging his sense of misplaced identity, his choice of friends, and even the way he regards his father. He also finds an unexpected confidante in Rose’s best friend Annabelle. However, the evening’s challenges to Ben are just beginning to surface. The arrival of Carlos, the Mercado family’s overbearing patriarch, exacerbates tensions between father and son, while the temptation to ditch his relatives to be with his white friends at a kegger across town tugs at Ben throughout the evening. A possible budding romance with Annabelle is also complicated by the presence of hot headed Augusto, a former childhood friend turned gangsta wannabe and Annabelle’s ex boyfriend. In one night, Ben will face the true nature of his relationships with his family, his friends, and himself.

The Debut is based on a ten minute short film Cajayon had made as his thesis project at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California, United States. After shooting the first ten minutes of his thesis project, Cajayon sent the movie script to potential private financial backers but was turned down. Eventually the film was able to garner a grant from the NAATA (National Asian American Telecommunications Association). The musical score and licensing of songs for the soundtrack was done in 1999. The full length film took eight years to produce and raise funding for (from 1992 to 2000), another year to be released in theaters, and two years to go on DVD in 2003 and television. It played the film festival circuit around the United States, including the Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF) in November 2000. American film critic Roger Ebert, who was in attendance, was given a private screening of the film and gave the film a "thumbs up." The Debut’s success on the film festival circuit inspired the filmmakers to launch a theatrical self distribution campaign. The film's success in theaters led to a domestic and international distribution deal with Sony Pictures.

The film received positive reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 74% "fresh" rating based on 24 reviews. The site’s consensus stated, “Although The Debut offers few surprises, it remains an engaging and well acted look at the multi generational immigrant experience.”

Film critics like Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times and Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times applauded the movie.

The Debut won a 2001 Ammy Award for Best Independent Feature Film. It also won the Best Narrative Feature award at the San Diego Asian Film Festival.