Lester Alfonso

Inspired by a flashback about his birthmark, filmmaker Lester Alfonso is convinced that making a film will help confront a distant trauma rooted in cultural superstition. A follow-up to his award-winning film Twelve (2009), BIRTHMARK is a wry, sensitive, and candidly confessional exercise in creative anthropology. Soliciting fellow mark-bearers to add their testimonies to his own, Lester documents his journey to find peace and forgiveness, and to quiet the voice in his head. “It’s not only about the marks we are born with but the marks we imagine for ourselves.”

If you could go back and speak to your 12-year-old self, what would you say? Philippine-born filmmaker Lester Alfonso attempts to answer this question by interviewing twelve diverse subjects, each of whom moved to Canada at age 12, like himself. On the cusp of teenage hormones, 12-year-olds often experience emotions with more intensity. Adapting to a new country at this age can be overwhelming. In collecting other people's stories, Lester is forced to face the demons from his own past. Will this journey finally set him free?

Reconciliation becomes possible between a gay circus trainer and his mom when he and his husband adopt a student.

Reconciliation becomes possible between a gay circus trainer and his mom when he and his husband adopt a student.

Reconciliation becomes possible between a gay circus trainer and his mom when he and his husband adopt a student.

If you could go back and speak to your 12-year-old self, what would you say? Philippine-born filmmaker Lester Alfonso attempts to answer this question by interviewing twelve diverse subjects, each of whom moved to Canada at age 12, like himself. On the cusp of teenage hormones, 12-year-olds often experience emotions with more intensity. Adapting to a new country at this age can be overwhelming. In collecting other people's stories, Lester is forced to face the demons from his own past. Will this journey finally set him free?

If you could go back and speak to your 12-year-old self, what would you say? Philippine-born filmmaker Lester Alfonso attempts to answer this question by interviewing twelve diverse subjects, each of whom moved to Canada at age 12, like himself. On the cusp of teenage hormones, 12-year-olds often experience emotions with more intensity. Adapting to a new country at this age can be overwhelming. In collecting other people's stories, Lester is forced to face the demons from his own past. Will this journey finally set him free?

Inspired by a flashback about his birthmark, filmmaker Lester Alfonso is convinced that making a film will help confront a distant trauma rooted in cultural superstition. A follow-up to his award-winning film Twelve (2009), BIRTHMARK is a wry, sensitive, and candidly confessional exercise in creative anthropology. Soliciting fellow mark-bearers to add their testimonies to his own, Lester documents his journey to find peace and forgiveness, and to quiet the voice in his head. “It’s not only about the marks we are born with but the marks we imagine for ourselves.”

Inspired by a flashback about his birthmark, filmmaker Lester Alfonso is convinced that making a film will help confront a distant trauma rooted in cultural superstition. A follow-up to his award-winning film Twelve (2009), BIRTHMARK is a wry, sensitive, and candidly confessional exercise in creative anthropology. Soliciting fellow mark-bearers to add their testimonies to his own, Lester documents his journey to find peace and forgiveness, and to quiet the voice in his head. “It’s not only about the marks we are born with but the marks we imagine for ourselves.”

Lester Alfonso travels to the Philippines to find out the truth about this real grandfather...the investigation of a family secret following in the footsteps of a missing man.

Lester Alfonso travels to the Philippines to find out the truth about this real grandfather...the investigation of a family secret following in the footsteps of a missing man.

Lester Alfonso travels to the Philippines to find out the truth about this real grandfather...the investigation of a family secret following in the footsteps of a missing man.

Filmmaker Lester Alfonso and his daughter Georgia walked the entire distance of Jackson Creek in Peterborough, Ontario and cataloged all the human-made objects they could find.

Filmmaker Lester Alfonso and his daughter Georgia walked the entire distance of Jackson Creek in Peterborough, Ontario and cataloged all the human-made objects they could find.

Filmmaker Lester Alfonso and his daughter Georgia walked the entire distance of Jackson Creek in Peterborough, Ontario and cataloged all the human-made objects they could find.