User reviews

This film is part documentary, part love letter, part family history of a very special time in Filipino history pre and post WW2. Sunshine has done a wonderful tribute to a remarkable woman, and this film as a labor of love deserves viewing. Anyone interested in Southeast Asia, strong women, and love stories will enjoy this film!

This film goes straight to your heart. "Nana Jessie" has lived a life that inspires and challenges us to enjoy every moment. Her story is well crafted and presented in a way that holds your attention for every moment...and by the time it ends, you want to get up and cheer!

Frankly, this is a film that every family, business, church and organization should see--it will ground you, motivate you and provide you with great clarity about what's REALLY important in life.

For me, the movie was so inspiring that I actually flew to the Philippines to meet this incredible woman. It was an experience that I'll cherish forever. When I asked her what her favorite thing to do was, her answer was right on target: "Wake up every morning!" she said.

Stop reading reviews. Go watch this movie!

For those of us privileged enough to have never lived through war or times of scarcity, it is sometimes easy to forget the very real and present struggles of our fellow man. Tita Jessie carried her own struggles throughout her life as a constant reminder to look back and help those still living with struggle. This extraordinary woman whose life bridged centuries is a beacon in our modern era reminding us that the only way to live a genuinely meaningful life is in service to others. In this age of individualism and self fulfillment which so often translates into spending hours alone I front of a screen, this film is a beautiful reminder that we are all part of a larger family of mankind. The filmmakers succeed in a simple message of kindness delivered so eloquently by Tita Jessie against the ever changing and troubled background of of a nation struggling to find its independence and national identity. Everyone should see this film - a universal message of love and kindness to others and looking outside ourselves is as pertinent now as it's ever been.

This is a wonderful biographical film about a brave American woman's life and spirit in the Philippines. At over 100 years old, Jessie Lichauco recounts her life with inspirational wisdom and a spirit of courage, openness, acceptance, generosity and compassion. The film captures Philippine history particularly in the 1930s and 40s and provides the viewer unique insight into these times through her personal accounts. The delicate intertwining of oral history, commentary, archival footage as well as the fine cinematography make this film a work of art. The filmmakers have created a fine tribute to an inspirational lady and a valuable legacy of Philippine history for generations to come.

This film tells the life story of a young American woman named Jessie Lichauco who dropped everything to sail to the Philippines at the age of 18, changing the course of her life completely. Curiosity, Adventure and Love is heart warming and beautiful from the start. It's one of those films that make you want to rethink how you're living life and to make the best out of it. Most of all, it reminded me to be open to different situations in life, no matter how unexpected, and despite it all, be kind to whomever I may come across in life. A truly inspiring movie - one of those movies you rewatch on those cosy nights in because you know you'll feel refreshed after watching it. I highly recommend it!

It is a very good and inspiring documentary; the editing is well done and the content is good; Jessie Lichauco is an example to follow.

SOMETIMES JUST A FEW WORDS ARE NEEDED TO EXPRESS WHAT A FILM LEAVES YOU INSIDE. MADE ME THINK, MADE ME MOVE, ENCOURAGED ME TO LIVE MY FUTURE TO THE FULLEST. THANK YOU FOR THIS WONDERFUL STORY

I adored this film and the steadfast spirit of its subject, Jessie. The documentary not only tells the often very charmed story of her life but also tells the historical context of the Philippines before during and after World War Two. We see the changing of the times through her eyes, and she never loses her optimism and warmth towards her fellow countrymen in the face of conflict and change. You get a real sense of history and of her adventures through time and it reminds the audience of the importance of treasuring each other, of maintaining civility regardless of social status and of the enduring qualities of love and compassion. A beautiful film.

Spent an evening watching the beautiful, haunting and delightful documentary Curiosity, Adventure & Love. A film that documents the life of Jessie, an American who arrived in the Philippines as a young woman, through pre-war Manila, it's occupation and it's deliverance, scattered through with Jessie-isms which give you cause to pause and reflect on attitudes to the lives we all live.

The testament of a good film? When you're still musing over it the next day

Simplicity is beauty. These 3 words are a reminder of what the world needs now(and always needed), for us to live in harmony and peace with ourselves and one another. The beauty of this message intertwined with the history of a country that not many know about, is a moving homage to innocence, self knowing, hope and perseverance.

A refreshing take on history of my beloved country narrated not by books and a school but through the lens of a modern day hero, Nana Jessie.

It is the Philippines' history in the eyes of an almost 107 year old naturalized Filipina. I felt I was in her sala, having coffee and being told these stories by Nana Jessie herself. You don't isolated from the story. You are treated not just a mere audience but really inviting you to come sit and be part of her life.

My greatest take away was shown towards the end. Nana Jessie said that "A home is when you find a moment that you don't want to leave."

Kudos to Sunshine for sharing her Lola's wisdom to all of us.

A very well made film about a person ( Jessie) who is as common as she is extraordinary. Married into the Manila high society at a feudal time but with a heart of gold. The film has captured her life and in quite detail, the parrallell running history of the Philippines, doing justice to both , while not being an overly long epic. This in itself is an attestation to the quality of the people behind the making of this film. Jessie has enough karma points to live another 200 years! May her tribe become the majority.

What a beautiful movie. When you see and meet people like Jessie it offers hope for the world.

Amazing movie! Jessie Lichauco is such an awe-inspiring character who lived through such a wonderful life. Her experiences and insights gave me a renewed understanding of my country's history that is impossible to achieve through a simple textbook reading. More than anything, I was and still am deeply moved by the humanity, kindness, and wisdom of Jessie, who is living one of the best lives I've ever encountered. May I be so lucky as to grow up just like her!

Curiosity, Adventure, Love tells the story of Jessie Lichauco, a Cuban American woman who left the United States and moved to the Phillpines alone at the beginning of the 20th Century to be with the man of her life, Marcial Lichauco, a leading figure in the movement for Philippine independence. The movie recounts her life in her adopted city of Manila, alongside archival footage and testimonials telling the history of the Philippines, from an American territory, through the horrors of WWII and the Japanese invasion, to independence.

Jessie's story is an inspirational one. Her selflessness and compassion towards the Filipino people have turned her into a living legend. Her "joie de vivre" is infectious, especially given how lucid she still is at 105 years old (102 at time of filming)!!

In Curiosity, Adventure, Love, you see the life of an extraordinary woman who embodies the principles of kindness and open mindedness and, for those not so familiar with the history of the Philippines, it gives you a good overview of the country's history over the last 100 years through the eyes of someone who lived through it.

Highly recommended!!

This movie deserves a wide audience. It is a documentary with a wonderful flow. You are never bored, but still the pictures are moving slowly and in line with the 105-year old protagonist. It shows a ordinary, not-so-ordinary life, a person with a great heart and a wonderful smile. It touches on the history of the Philippines, which makes it both entertaining and interesting - I learned a lot. For me as a new arrival and foreigner in the Philippines it was a perfect introduction. I hope, this movie will been seen all over the world. One day hopefully it will be shown in history classes, in schools here in Manila but also overseas. A movie and a main character with a very positive note and lessons to be learned - congrats to this little big masterpiece.

This film offered an excellent and unique historical perspective, compelling story, and really important life lessons shared by a 107 year old woman who truly has seen everything. I left the theatre feeling inspired to live life to it's fullest.

It is obvious that Sunshine de Leon was motivated by curiosity, adventure, and love to tell the story of her Nana Jessie. That she was able to do so in a way that elucidates the recent history of the Philippines and imparts the rich life wisdom of Nana Jessie makes her film not only a labor of love, but a masterpiece. This film's universal appeal is evident in the enthusiastic responses it has generated in the Philippines, the United States, Mexico, and even Japan.

A touching film which intricately traces the intertwining history of Jessie (the main character, now aged 104), and her adopted home city, Manila.

Jessie's vast experience and insight takes the viewer on a captivating journey through Manila's turbulent and often sad historic moments.

A beautiful film, underpinned by a wonderful lady and her amazing story, which is superbly produced, and a pleasure to watch.

An insightful and epic narrative that journeys through the life experiences of Jessie, a Cuban American - who travelled all the way for love to the Philippines pre-WWII and has been in Manila ever since. Her life is intimately and beautifully portrayed by filmmaker and granddaughter Sunshine Lichauco de Leon and producer Suzanne Richardione. A piece of poetry that also covers the pivotal, dynamic and challenging times for the Philippines, peeling its complex colonial layers and history.

Jessie represents the strength and radiance of women. Her curiosity, adventure and love shines through the many details explored of her inspiring life. Bravo Sunshine and Suzanne! Thanks for making such a moving and important film.

A beautiful film. Poetic, inspiring and moving. Lola Jessie and her poetry for life shines the light on what's truly important in this precious historical journey of ours called LIFE.

This is a thoughtful documentary weaving in Filipino history in the last century, the main character Jessie Lichauco's life and her words of wisdom. Interviews of Lichauco are intertwined with her acquaintances/witnesses of her past. With archived news footage and choreographed music in the background, 60-minutes of the film goes by quickly. The film leaves you with a better historical context of the Philippines.

A heart warming documentary retracing the extraordinary life of grande dame Jessie Lichauco. An hour long journey through the history of the Philippines in the twentieth century and the inspiring life of an adventurous American woman, driven by adventure, curiosity and love. Beautiful photography frame the life lessons Jessie shares throughout the film, with kindness and humor. A must see !

I'm italian and with this film I felt in love with the Philippines! Even if we are so far, the love, and the eyes of the protagonist make me felt really close. I see in her, my grandmother and a culture and the spirits that I had the chance to live only with her. This is not only a film but the sign of the history of a nation and of a woman. I highly recommend it!

OK, I have watched this remarkable documentary several times as of last night and every time I have been awed by the wonderful and full life lived by the delightful Jessie Lichauco. This is a labour of love articulately crafted by Nana Jessie's talented granddaughter Sunshine, who with her carefully spaced cameos joins together what turns out to be a smart intertwining of Philippines' pre and post WW2 history with Jessie's life of curiosity, adventure and love. I dare you not to feel as if she is also your Nana, by the end of the film.