Cebuano 'First Light' producer connects to film's faith, mortality themes
MANILA, Philippines — As the Australian-Filipino co-production "First Light" prepares for its theatrical release, the film's meditation on faith, mortality, and the deeply human fear of death resonates especially closely for producer Christelle Lou Dychangco.
Raised within the legacy of Cosmopolitan Funeral Homes, one of Cebu City's longstanding funeral institutions celebrating its 78th year this 2026, Dychangco brings a deeply personal understanding of grief, ritual and humanity to the film’s journey.
"Our relationship with whatever is bigger out there than us is really not between institutions but a personal one at that," Dychangco said in a statement. "Ultimately, I think the moral of the whole story also comes around to death and our fear of dying and I think that’s a very human and very relatable lesson and feeling that we all have."
Directed by James J. Robinson, "First Light" explores questions of belief, spirituality, and the fragile spaces between life and loss through an intimate Filipino lens, as well as a reflection on the universal realities that connect people across cultures: grief, hope, and the search for meaning.
Related: 'First Light' starring Ruby Ruiz, Maricel Soriano to hit cinemas in June
For Dychangco, whose upbringing was shaped by witnessing families navigate loss through the funeral industry, the themes of "First Light" became more than creative material, they became deeply lived truths.
Growing up around memorial services, mourning rituals, and conversations surrounding mortality gave her a unique perspective on how people process death, faith, and healing.
The movie enters cinemas beginning June 24 carrying many of the same conversations a funeral home witnesses — conversations about remembrance, spirituality, acceptance, and what it means to let go.
Led by multi-award-winning Filipina actress Ruby Ruiz alongside celebrated performers Maricel Soriano, Rez Cortez, Soliman Cruz, and Kidlat Tahimik, the film invites audiences into a deeply emotional exploration of what lies beyond certainty and how faith often lives not in institutions, but in the quiet, personal moments between people.
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