As part of the commemorative activities for the 116th Anniversary of the Declaration of Philippine Independence in 2014, the Embassy of the Philippines called on the Filipino community and friends in New Zealand to support Mr. Norma Zafra and watch the screenings of his documentary entitled “A Friend in Sight”.

Mr. Zafra, a Filipino scholar attending Massey University as a Graduate Student of Communication, Journalism & Marketing, created the short documentary, A Friend in Sight, as a requirement for his postgraduate paper called Media Practice and Global Culture. His production is intended primarily to target a cross-cultural audience by sharing a unique New Zealand story to Filipinos.

A Friend in Sight is an official selection to the 9th Documentary Edge Festival held annually in Auckland and Wellington. The documentary follows Ms. Julia Mosen who has been blind since birth and shows how she independently and safely carries out her daily ordinary tasks with the help of her seeing-eye dog, Kerry.

The Philippine Embassy Team proudly watched the Wellington screening of the documentary at the Roxy Cinema in Miramar on 05 June 2014. A Friend in Sight captures and shares the special and remarkable relationship between Ms. Mosen and her faithful dog, Kerry. Screenings of Mr. Zafra’s documentary were held at Auckland and Wellington.

Philippine Ambassador Virginia H. Benavidez congratulated Mr. Norman Zafra for the honour and distinction of being the first Filipino whose documentary has been featured at the 9th Documentary Edge Festival. “You continue to do our country and people proud in using your GOD-given talents in the fields of communication and media to create a heartwarming and inspiring documentary on the lives and experiences of the people of New Zealand and promoting greater understanding and goodwill between Filipinos and New Zealanders,” Ambassador Benavidez stated.