S4E11, Part 2: Filmmaker H.P. Mendoza

In this episode, H.P. picks up where he left off in Part 1. He had moved with his mom to Daly City and starts off telling a story about the Colma Target. It involves a kid he met while hanging out at Radio Shack and Walden Soft at Serramonte Mall across the freeway. From there, we go on to talk about H.P.'s first feature-length movie, Colma: The Musical. He shares how he went about writing the story that became the movie. Next, we discuss H.P.'s time at College of San Mateo, where he went to study film. Following up on the success of Colma, H.P.'s directorial debut came with the movie Fruit Fly. He pivots from there to address the hate and violence that Asian folks have experienced in recent years. Then we talk about H.P.'s music and artists he's often compared to as well as younger musicians who've told him that he influences them. H.P. wraps things up reflecting on what his hometown, San Francisco, means to him in 2021. He ends with his personal thoughts on our theme this season: "We're still here." We recorded this episode at Casements Bar in May 2021. Photography by Syl Simon