Paris-based international sales company Cat&Docs has acquired the global rights to "We Had a Plan," a poignant new feature documentary that explores the emotional journey of a gay Filipino couple returning to their native country after spending ten years as undocumented sanitation workers in the Netherlands. The acquisition was finalized just in time for the film's highly anticipated world premiere at the prestigious International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), accompanied by the simultaneous release of its official promotional trailer.
The documentary addresses deeply resonant themes of migration, labor, LGBTQ+ identity, and the bittersweet nature of diasporic homecoming. For a decade, the couple navigated the precarious shadows of European society as unregistered domestic and cleaning laborers, sacrificing familial proximity for financial survival before finally making the monumental decision to retrace their steps back to the Philippines.
According to exclusive reports by Variety, industry insiders have praised the project for offering a raw, unfiltered lens on the psychological toll of undocumented migration and the complex realities of reintegrating into a society left behind long ago. Filmmakers and early industry viewers noted that the narrative avoids romanticizing the return, instead focusing on the gritty truth of rebuilding lives in a homeland that has shifted considerably during their absence.
Following its debut at IDFA, the film is expected to make significant waves on the global festival circuit as Cat&Docs begins shopping the title to international distributors and streaming platforms. The widespread interest signals a growing appetite in the global cinematic market for authentic stories centered on marginalized migrant communities and intersectional identity struggles.