SBS Filipino sits down with the the director and one of the writers behind , a four-part drama comedy series with a main cast that features Filipino-Australian actors.
The series was created and written by Jessica Redenbach.
"Trying to portray the world as a normal place for the backdrop of our story was certainly challenging," 'The Unusual Suspects' director Melvin Montalban shares.
Melvin, alongside Natalie Bailey, creator and screenwriter Jessica Redenbach and screenwriter Vonne Patiag, began production for the dramedy in the middle of a pandemic. Donned masks had become commonplace and streets were emptier than expected.
"I think it was so important to try and keep people's morale up on set. Wearing a mask for 10-11 hours a day was so draining," Vonne adds.
Associate producer and writer Vonne Patiag (centre) on set with Lena Cruz (Amy) and Aina Dumlao (Evie). Source: SBS/Joel Pratley
A risk-averse industry
Aside from contending with the constraints of the pandemic, Melvin and Vonne admit that the initial hindrance that they needed to deal with was within the television industry itself.
Melvin, who has been a director for two decades, shares, "I think in general Australian TV can be risk-averse. It’s difficult for networks to take chances. But in this regard, I feel like this show was unique. And I hope that they did see that the new bloods is what’s gonna bring it to life.
"This show has taken years to be able to get to this point and it was really lifting off the ground during the Black Lives Matter movement and I feel like there’s a global conversation around race."
"I feel like this show was unique. And I hope that they did see that the new bloods is what’s gonna bring it to life." Source: SBS/Joel Pratley
Vonne gives credit to the other creative forces behind the scenes to get the project up and running.
"Working with Angie and Poly at Aquarius film was incredible. Throughout this whole process, they’ve done nothing but nurture our voices and empower us. It really taught me a lot about collaboration."
We are Australians
When it came to collaboration, Melvin and Vonne took from their own experiences to contribute to this unique narrative.
Melvin shares, "I'm a Filipino migrant, raised here by migrant parents from a very young age. I don’t speak the [Filipino] language. I never felt like I had a home either side.
The diverse cast of 'The Unusual Suspects' Source: SBS/Joel Pratley
I feel like that conversation has been my whole life so I don’t think that’s specific to Filipino culture, but that’s specific to me. So when I saw this show and read the scripts, I could connect to the feeling of wanting to have the conversation. I didn’t know what the conversation is going to be but I knew it needed to be had."
Vonne, who has always been inclined to share stories of the marginalised, agrees that conversations on identity need to be had.
He shares, "I’m always drawn to stories about “in-between people”...POC [people of colour] stories, queer stories, just people who slip through the cracks of representation. I’m always interested in very specific storytelling because I think the more specific you can go, the more universal the story can be.
Source: SBS / Joel Pratley
"Now is the perfect time to really look in your backyard and see what stories are being told because I think we’re at a point now where we’re begging to see different ideas of what being Australian means."
And what is involved with being Australian is having a conversation with white audiences as well as multicultural communities.
"Multicultural stories don’t always exist in a bubble. I think this show reflects that because our Filipino characters live and work in predominantly white spaces to reflect that conversation and dynamic," Melvin shares.
Cast of 'The Unusual Suspects' Source: SBS/Joel Pratley
An understanding needs to occur between members of the Filipino community as well, with Vonne adding, "Filipinos are so diverse within our own culture, so I think one thing that I’m really proud of is we landed on the story that feels true to us.
"It might be for you, it might not be for you as well and we all have different experiences and ideas of what makes up our Filipino culture but just enjoy it for what it is. It’s a great little big show with a lot of heart, laughs and a stellar cast."
The Unusual Suspects premiered Thursday June 3 at 8:30pm on SBS, with the full series also available at SBS On Demand (full-series drop)
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