The Wheels of Fate: How one Filipino immigrant is telling the story of belonging through film

“As a foreigner, who doesn’t speak English as his main language, he is searching for belonging and finding a sense of community. I understand that feeling. Searching for your people.” 

For Massey film student Loyd Doron, telling a story about belonging has never felt more important in his upcoming documentary, The Wheels of Fate. His film follows Ryan, a fellow Filipino immigrant looking for that same sense of belonging he is.  

Doco subject Ryan is a passionate inline skater who immigrated to New Zealand from the Philippines with his adoptive parents just over a year ago. As Ryan pursues his passion for inline skating, he finds himself confronting deeper questions about who he is and where he comes from — specifically his biological family.  

In the documentary’s trailer, Ryan says, “Skating accepts me for being who I am.” The film captures Ryan’s search for identity with raw honesty – it’s a story about immigration, acceptance, and self-discovery. 

For the documentary director Loyd, the film feels close to his heart and home. He first came across Ryan’s story through Facebook Reels, where Ryan was posting about his struggles adjusting to life in New Zealand. 

Loyd says, “He [Ryan] was posting about his first few months of moving to New Zealand where he didn’t know anyone and asking why it was so hard to find his people.” After reaching out to Ryan, the two became fast friends.  

“We very quickly started opening up to each other and we had that feeling of ‘oh, we belong. This is the sense of community that we’re trying to find’.” 

It was during this time that Loyd learnt about Ryan’s passion for inline skating and that he was adopted. Loyd says the story inspired him, and he doesn’t think he’ll be the only one.  

“I think a lot of people will be inspired by Ryan’s journey. Even if they aren’t adopted, everyone can relate to that lifelong search for identity and a place to belong.” 

That search mirrors Loyd’s own experience. Moving to New Zealand was his first time living away from his family. “For 22 years, I had only ever lived with my whole family in the same house,” Loyd says. “That alone is scary. But then going to another country that speaks English, which is like your second or third language, it can be hard to find your community.” 

Originally from Saint Bernard in Southern Leyte, Loyd immigrated to New Zealand in 2022 to pursue his dream of making films. Now, he is about to graduate from Massey University with a Bachelor of Screen Arts.  

But his connection to Aotearoa began before that. In 2019, Loyd visited Wellington for a short film festival, representing the Philippines. It was there that he fell in love with Wellington and its creative culture.  

After returning home, he worked hard to convince his parents to let him study in Wellington. Six years on, he’s now filling the city with his own creative energy — starting with The Wheels of Fate.  

He feels privileged to witness Ryan’s journey — especially the emotional tension Ryan feels about tracing his roots. “He’s so grateful for his foster parents, they’ve clothed him, given him an education, and fed him. He feels like he’s at age where it doesn’t feel right for him to start questioning after all these years.” 

Through skating, the duality of cultures, and identity, The Wheels of Fate becomes more than a documentary — it’s a testament to the migrant experience.  

To immigrants arriving in New Zealand, Loyd says the beginning might feel daunting — but it gets easier. He hopes the documentary will help people to feel seen. Loyd says as long as you keep putting yourself out there, your sense of belonging and community will appear. “I feel like everything just comes at the right time, and sometimes when you’re seeking this comfort it means you have to go out of your comfort zone.” 

As Loyd wraps up both his studies and the documentary, he’s thinking about the future – and it looks like storytelling will remain at the heart of it.  

“I love finding out and telling the real stories of real people. That’s what I really want to pursue in the future — telling the real stories.” 

For now, he’s focused on finishing the film, graduating, and spending time with the people who’ve helped him feel like he belongs in a country which once felt foreign.