Chocolates and Roses: Breaking the Silence about Domestic Violence in the Philippines (2025)

The trailer of the documentary, Chocolates and Roses, directed by Erminia Colucci.

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Project Title: Chocolates and Roses: Breaking the Silence about Domestic Violence in the Philippines

Role: Editor

Category: Ethnographic Documentary

Project Overview:

Chocolates and Roses is an ethnographic documentary led by Dr. Erminia Colucci in collaboration with Dr. Dinah Nadera. The film explores how the absence of divorce laws and cultural beliefs in the Philippines compound the trauma of domestic violence survivors.

Screenings:

• On 25 November 2025 the Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C. screened the documentary to mark the observance of the 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women.

• Deputy Chief of Mission Jaime Ramon T. Ascalon Jr. noted that the film “serves as a mirror – reflecting the realities many women face and the struggles they often endure silently. But it is also a window – opening our eyes to the systems of support available.”

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