Vibrant, passionate soul

MANILA, Philippines – When Hannah Espia speaks, her thoughts come out with powerful eloquence. This award-winning director has a passionate soul that allows her to tell stories through film.

Hannah was at the helm of the highly acclaimed indie drama film Transit, which explores the story of Filipino migrant workers in Tel Aviv, Israel who are facing the threat of a law deporting the children of migrant workers. Her film debut at the New Breed section of the 2013 Cinemalaya received several awards, including Best Director and Best Film. In the same year, Transit was chosen by the Film Academy of the Philippines as the country’s entry in the best foreign language film category of the Oscar awards in 2014.

“I’ve always been interested in the arts,” says Hannah, who, when she was growing up, wanted to be an animator and was inspired by the works of Japanese animation director Hayao Miyazaki. At 15, she started watching foreign films. This is also the time when she developed her love for Asian cinema.

“With film, I discovered that it’s a combination of the things I love — creative visuals, writing, photography, music,” says Hannah, whose early influences included iconic Asian filmmakers Shunji Iwai, Zhang Yimou, Wong Kar-wai and the legendary Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa.

Hannah, a graduate of the University of the Philippines’ Film Institute, is currently working on an upcoming teleserye. This shift from film allows her to discover the  different world of television. “The cultures (of film and TV) are very different. In TV, there are a lot of people involved, they make studies on what people want to see and there are more protocols to follow. Right now, I’m enjoying working on TV. As a creative person, you want to have an outlet for creativity. I think TV is good for that because its weekly or every-other-day schedule allows me to develop my skills. Film is where I release my creativity, an outlet for stories that I would like to tell and it’s a more personal project,” she shares.

For Hannah, one of the best things about being a filmmaker is being inspired by other people. “I am inspired by the people I work with. Actors, directors, filmmakers who are brilliant in their own craft are inspiring. I get to feel their energy, which is contagious. Their journey inspires me. The most important thing about being a filmmaker is being genuine and honest with the story that you want to tell. You have to be honest with your work. You have to be clear why you’re telling this story, why are you the best person to tell this story,” she notes.

With the demands of her work, it is important for Hannah to take care of her well-being. “We are working for long hours. After work, I try to sleep as much as I can to regain energy. I don’t smoke, I don’t drink much. I also try to take care of myself by eating healthy because what we eat contributes to our health.”

She also exercises on her free time to stay fit and have enough endurance to keep up with the physical demands in her job.

A simple, no-fuss regimen comprises  Hannah’s everyday look. Though blessed with good skin, she still makes sure that her face is thoroughly cleansed. Because of Hannah’s long working hours, minor skin imperfections are unavoidable.  The EB Advance Two-Way Cake, which hides blemishes and fine lines while keeping the skin moisturized, can save one from this beauty dilemma. This one-step face powder and foundation, which can be applied either wet or dry to achieve desired coverage, comes in White Beige, True Beige and Oriental shades.

Then, she sets her eyebrows to perfect arches — something that she could not leave the house without. When the occasion calls it, Hannah loves to put false eyelashes, which defines her eyes. For times when falsies are not available, the EB Advance Mascara Duo with Silicon Brush, a dual mascara that comes with a base coat and top coat is the best option to thicken and lengthen the eyelashes for that dramatic and bolder gaze. This is best for quick fixes and touch ups because it has a silicon brush applicator.

To complete her daily beauty must-haves, Hannah puts a hint of blush that gives her cheeks a healthy-looking glow like the EB Advance Blush Duo. It is a dual-functioning blush that comes with a brown base shade for the contour and a flush of rose shade. It is designed to add depth on one’s look and emphasize one’s features with its easy-to-use silicon brush applicator.

As a filmmaker, Hannah is almost always surrounded by physical beauty. But for her, beauty is something that radiates from within. “For me, beauty is a culmination of a person’s qualities. When a person’s talent, intelligence, strength or courage radiates, that’s beautiful. When a person is honest, genuine or kind, that’s beauty. Beauty is not just a single thing. It’s like how I describe film as a combination of things that I love,” Hannah elaborates.

With all that she has achieved, Hannah notes that there are a lot of things to be grateful for. And one of them is her family’s unwavering love and support. “It’s not easy being a creative person. People will not always like your work or approve of what you do. But I am thankful for the people who stayed with me no matter what. My family has always been there to support me. My parents never discouraged me from pursuing the arts. I think the biggest privilege that I have in my life is I have a family that’s very supportive of what I do. When people ask me what’s the secret to my success, I always say it’s the love of my family,” Hannah concludes. *

Photography by Rita Marie • Fashion styling by Tara Subaldo • Makeup by Elma Oraye and Petchi Ombrosa of Ever Bilena • Black dress by ZARA and yellow top by Kikay