“You can take the girl out of the Philippines, but you cannot take the Philippines out from the girl.”

Filmmaker Isabel Sandoval cannot be any prouder that she was born and raised in Cebu City even now that she has been based in the US for nearly two decades.

She uprooted from Cebu in 2005, nearly two decades ago now. At that time, however, she was still legally known as Vincent Sandoval. She went into a transition and it was only in 2013 when Isabel changed her status legally.

“It was a straightforward process in the US,” Isabel admitted. “I don’t think I would have transitioned here. Back then, it would have been difficult for me. It was hard to see for me how transwomen were portrayed then.”

Not that she documented her transition. “I am a very private person actually. I was an only child. What made me transition was the realization that I’m not transitioning to become a woman. I’m transitioning to become more fully myself, which just happens to be a woman.

“I’m transitioning into to be who I am now. I don’t have to be a Kim Kardashian or a Barbie. I can still be myself, but just the shell of it is different. That was what gave me the sense of peace, calm and the confidence to pursue what I ended up pursuing.

“I’m so proud of the journey that I’ve gone on. Even my mom, who’s in Cebu, is proud of me.”

Isabel regards herself, first and foremost, as an artist and filmmaker. “At this moment, in the community that I’m part of and who I’m recognized as, I became a filmmaker of some talent,” she said. “Hopefully, a certain caliber who makes films and art that are challenging, interesting and hopefully represent the future of the cinema.”

Isabel added, “I became who I am growing up in this place. The stories that I came up with still have characters and settings that are here. I’d like to think that I’m an intuitive filmmaker and I’m not just doing a project for the pay.

“I want to commit myself to a project that I’m passionate about or my gut tells me what to do. For some reason, that always brings me back here that’s why I’m here now.”

Isabel is now in the country to start working on her fourth film, the crime thriller, Moonglow, which she will produce with Nathan Studios and Alemberg Ang. Isabel arrived last March 13 and even celebrated her birthday here on March 20.

She will star in the project with Arjo Atayde, whom he met last year at the Locarno Film Festival, where Arjo’s film, director Richard Somes’ Topak (Triggered), was premiered.

“It feels like the standard Philippine, noir thriller, but that’s just the premise of the film,” informed Isabel. “It blossoms into something more lyrical and poetic. As a director, after wrapping up three films, my style is really more a marriage or a blending of strong, political themes, but with a visual style and flourish that’s more lush and poetic.

“If you’re familiar with the work of Wong Kai-wai, In the Mood for Love, I kind of love doing a classic noir from the ‘40s in the style of Wong Kar-wai. Moonglow is my fourth film. It represents my most ambitious and radical film in terms of style and theme.”

Isabel wants to do a project that she’s excited and passionate about. “I was busy in developing a few projects in Hollywood last year,” she shared. “I also attended the Cannes Film Festival. Then the writer’s strike happened in Hollywood in May last year, followed by the actor’s strike. All productions in Hollywood were swamped down.

“I don’t want to work in a TV series that’s going to take a long time. I want to do a noir film. I’m really fascinated with characters about shadow and light, characters with secrets. In a way, I am being pulled to the noir genre for my films. That’s how the premise really came together for Moonglow.

“My film acknowledges that we are set in that milieu and setting, but gives it a little more hope, optimism and romanticism. It’s really my way of looking at the world and that I don’t think of people as irredeemably evil or reality is hopeless or utterly bleak. I find glimmers of hope, magic, romance and poetry amid all the bleakness.”

Isabel will film Moonglow in Manila starting next month until early May. They have scouted for locations in Binondo and the ancestral LVN home. Other actors in the cast are Carlitos Siguion-Reyna as Arjo’s dad and Agot Isidro, who will be playing a nun.