By: MJ Asuncion
Photo By DOP Cesca Lee
Set within the world of Filipino martial arts (FMA), Kaya is a short narrative film about self-definition, perseverance and inner strength. This coming-of-age story explores mixed-race Asian identity and the search for cultural connection and belonging. The title, “Kaya,” means “capability” or “ability” in Filipino, serving as the foundation for the film’s central themes of resilience, identity and personal growth.
Nia (Isabel Lamers), a half-Filipina outsider, is set on joining a prestigious Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) team. But from the moment she arrives the gym owner/coach and most of the members judge her for not sounding and looking Filipina enough. At home, she faces the same scrutiny from her Filipina mother, relatives and family friends. No matter where she goes, Nia is treated like a foreigner, struggling to find a place where she belongs. Joining the FMA team offers purpose and acceptance that she desperately seeks. However, having trained only in kickboxing, she struggles to adapt to the FMA techniques. Determined to prove herself, Nia secretly turns to Malic (EJ Lipana), a queer outcast who understands what it means to be judged and excluded. Together they train in secret as Nia fights to prove to the team, the coach, and herself that she is “Filipino enough.”
Writing, producing, directing and starring in the title role of Nia, Lamers showcases her range through grounded performances in both the film’s emotional moments and action sequences. She brings a quiet vulnerability paired with an explosive inner strength that perfectly suits the character. Even in the smallest moments, Nia’s pain and resilience are powerfully felt. In a supporting role Kayley Carrigan delivers an excellent contrasting performance as Angel Bautista, a proud and arrogant gym owner who immediately dismisses Nia.
Kaya marks Isabel Lamers’ directorial debut. The film is a proof-of-concept action short set in Quezon City, Manila, Philippines. Raised bilingually in the Philippines and Germany, Lamers brings an extensive international perspective to the project. Her career has taken her across Europe, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and the United States.
Kaya expertly explores the struggle for acceptance within the mixed-Asian community, though its message extends far beyond that experience. At its core the film speaks to the universal search for belonging in a world often shaped by judgment and assumptions. It is, quite literally, a fight for identity. As the film quotes, “Belonging is not given; it is claimed.” Blending bittersweet emotional moments with exciting fight sequences, Kaya tells a story that will resonate with anyone who has experienced exclusion or felt ostracized within their own community.