The documentary is set to bow in the Luminous strand of IDFA, which runs from November 12 to 22. In addition to its selection in the competitive non-fiction showcase, “We Had a Plan” is officially in the running for IDFA’s coveted Best Dutch Film Award, marking a strong start for the international festival run of the project. Ahead of the public screenings, Cat&Docs and the filmmakers have partnered to offer an exclusive first look at the official trailer, capturing the emotional gravity and visual intimacy of the feature.
Directed by acclaimed Dutch documentary filmmaker Suzanne Raes and co-directed by Venice De Castro Atienza, the film chronicles the lives of Paul and Daniel. After enduring 12 years away from home—including a full decade operating without legal papers in the Netherlands—the couple makes the momentous decision to move back to the Philippines. They arrive back on home soil carrying big dreams, high hopes, and the heavy expectations of relatives who mistakenly regard them as wealthy after years abroad.
However, the reality of returning home proves far more complicated than the idealized version they had constructed during their years of grueling labor in Europe. As the financial savings accumulated from their decade abroad begin to rapidly dwindle, and the conservative social limits on their freedom as an openly gay couple close in around them, their long-standing relationship begins to fracture under intense pressure.
Director Suzanne Raes noted that the production evolved naturally into a deeply emotional exploration of modern migration and romance. She explained that the creative team shaped the project into a bittersweet love story focusing on a couple whose bond is severely tested by vast global inequalities in wealth, social security, and the societal acceptance of queer individuals. According to Raes, the documentary aims to reveal the profound, often overlooked sacrifices that migrant workers routinely make to achieve their personal and familial goals, ultimately humanizing a global workforce that is frequently treated as invisible.
Co-director Venice De Castro Atienza brought a deeply personal perspective to the filmmaking process, sharing a cultural and experiential connection with the documentary’s subjects. As a Filipino filmmaker who has also chosen to leave her home country, De Castro Atienza approached Paul and Daniel’s story with a distinct sense of closeness and intimacy. She recognized their journey as part of a broader, collective migrant experience characterized by the agonizing choice between leaving home to financially provide for loved ones and staying behind to share a daily life with them. In “We Had a Plan,” she noted, audiences witness two people trying to alter the configuration of the world in order to carve out a secure, permanent place for their love.
Catherine Le Clef, president and CEO of Cat&Docs, expressed immediate enthusiasm upon encountering the project, citing the warmth of the film and the undeniable charm of its protagonists. Le Clef stated that through Paul and Daniel’s deeply personal experiences, the documentary offers a powerful human perspective on a foreign workforce that is far too often reduced to cold statistics, broad stereotypes, or rendered entirely invisible by the societies that consume their labor. She added that the film serves as an important, timely reminder of the very real human cost hidden behind the complex economic systems that depend on migrant labor, noting that the potent combination of intimacy, tenderness, and social relevance makes the feature particularly impactful for contemporary audiences.
The creative team behind “We Had a Plan” brings an impressive pedigree of previous festival recognition and critical acclaim. Director Suzanne Raes is widely known for her previous feature works, including the acclaimed 2023 documentary “Close to Vermeer” and “Where Dragons Live” (2024), the latter of which earned her a prestigious BAFTA Scotland nomination. Co-director Venice De Castro Atienza previously made waves internationally with her debut feature, “Last Days at Sea” (2021), which initially premiered at the Berlinale before embarking on a successful festival circuit that included stops at Visions du Réel, Hot Docs, and IDFA.
The production of “We Had a Plan” was a collaborative international effort. Ilja Roomans served as producer for the Dutch production outfit Docmakers, while Alemberg Ang boarded the project as co-producer representing the Philippines-based Daluyong Studios. Additionally, co-director Venice De Castro Atienza participated as an executive producer through her banner, Svemirko Film Productions. Following its festival run and international rollout, the documentary is scheduled for local theatrical and platform release in the Netherlands, where distribution will be handled by Cinema Delicatessen.
