Power of Pearl Documentary Chronicles Typhoon Haiyan Aftermath

After news broke about typhoon Haiyan, the film crew of Power of Pearl knew it was imperative that they travel to the Philippines to support the communities they’ve befriended through the past three years of production.

In 2010, Power of Pearl was launched to document both the little known pearl farming communities across the globe and also their culture of sustainability that all industrials should take note of. Some of the teams most cherished subjects, and their livelihoods, were based across Palawan, Philippines, where the heavy hit Coron is located. Footage coming in from the disaster zones painted a bleak picture, and the filmmakers didn’t know what to expect as they frantically arranged for travel to the Philippines.

The affected pearl farms were institutions that the owners, workers, and surrounding communities had depended on for generations. The culture and people of the area were known to be exceptionally resilient, but there was no way to expect how they would react to such calamity. When the film crew arrived on the pearl farm, they were greeted not by a community that had succumbed to grief and despair, but instead they found a community filled with a reinvigorated passion of strength and ambition.

Many of the workers shared their personal experiences with the film crew. Power of Pearl Director Ahbra Perry was moved by the spirit of the Filipino people. “Many of these farmers have lost everything, yet their resilience to rebuild and more importantly work as a community in this difficult time is nothing more than pure inspiration. The news only informs us of the tragedy, but we set our focus on the wonderfully strong spirit of the Filipino people.”

Power of Pearl is working hard in post production to bring their emotional and impactful documentary to the world by January of 2015. They believe that the film will deeply benefit the overall view we all have of our planet and provide a better understanding of how all us can contribute to a healthier, more sustainable world in the future.
The filmmakers are fundraising for the film and a rebuild of homes in Palawan.