Set in the Philippines in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan, ‘TOTO’ is a comedy/drama about a young Filipino room service attendant whose determination to attain a U.S. visa precipitates an odyssey of universal import. Undeterred by his lack of education and scant prospects, Toto schemes relentlessly to achieve his goal. When his antics put the lives of his loved ones in danger, however, he is forced to question the extremity of his actions and to reevaluate the cost of fulfilling his dreams. In this film, all the characters have dreams and aspirations, be it about love, career, or simply friendship. But how far will one go to reach his dream? As an immigrant myself, I am deeply attracted to Toto’s story for the way it speaks to the tension between integrity and compromise in the journeys of all outsiders. In moments of self-doubt, do you give up or do you soldier forward in pursuit of the dream? This is a question that, as a filmmaker in a new land where I was a complete unknown,...