Isabel Lamers on Kaya | Mixed-Race Identity, Filipino Martial Arts & Trusting Your Gut | Kickin' It

Writer, director, producer, and star Isabel Lamers joins Kickin' It With Tyree to discuss her short film Kaya, which premiered at the Tribeca Festival and earned a Best Stunts nomination at HollyShorts. The idea began during a visit to Los Angeles, where Lamers was welcomed by a Filipino American community that never questioned how she looked or what her identity was, the opposite of her experience back home in the Philippines. Around the same time, she began training in Filipino martial arts with a local team. Those two experiences collided into Kaya, a story about mixed-race heritage, belonging, and a young woman named Nia fighting to define herself on her own terms. Lamers wore nearly every hat on this one, and she's honest about how hard that was: two shoot days, no time to review takes, and the challenge of directing other actors while performing herself. She also breaks down the visual language of the film, including the mirrors that reflect society's expectations back at Nia, and the final shot that finally lets her exist without one. In this conversation, Lamers discusses: How a trip to LA and a Filipino American community sparked the story Exploring mixed-race identity without making the film only about that How much of herself lives in Nia, and how her family reacted at Tribeca The challenge of directing and starring at the same time Owning your creative decisions instead of getting pressured to move on The meaning behind the mirrors and the film's final shot Working with a stunt coordinator and fight choreographer, and asking "does this sell?" Weaving multiple Filipino martial arts styles into the choreography Weeks of choreography, previs, and rehearsal for the fight between Nia and Angel The original score, blending Western folk with traditional Filipino instruments Premiering at Tribeca and the pressure of a crowdfunded first film Buying a "Filmmaking for Dummies" book and refusing to quit What's next: taking Kaya into a more international, action-driven feature Her biggest lesson from the whole process? Trust your own gut. You already know what you want. 🎬 Film: Kaya 🎥 Writer, Director, Producer & Star: Isabel Lamers 🎼 Composer: Carmichael Castaños | Score Producer: Denise Santos 🎙️ Hosted by Tyree Pope III Kickin' It With Tyree