Across the Pond

A film by Tegan Reed, Danielle Keohane and Ruby Ellis (2024 student film)

Across the Pond brings together the stories of Michael Keohane and Hyley Keohane, two people who moved from the Philippines to the UK and built their lives here. Their experiences offer different perspectives on migration, work, family and adapting to life in a new environment.

Hyley arrived in the UK in 2001 as part of the recruitment of Filipino nurses. She describes developing her nursing career, beginning as a surgical nurse before moving through different roles and eventually becoming a Multiple Sclerosis Clinical Nurse Specialist. She reflects on the support she received from colleagues and the friendships she formed in the UK, which became an important part of her life. Her story also recalls the difficulties of working during the COVID-19 pandemic and being unable to return to the Philippines after losing her parents.

Michael arrived in the UK as a teenager in 1997 and recalls the challenges of adapting to life in Stoke, including language, accent, school and cultural differences. He also talks about learning to play the guitar and how music became part of his life. Now working for DHL, his story, alongside Hyley's, shows how migration, education and employment can shape people's lives and their sense of belonging in a new country.