How many filmmakers can say their documentaries won an Emmy and inspired two parks, a musical, and even a California state holiday?
Marissa Aroy, BC ’95, is one of them.
“I found it really interesting to learn about what makes us tick, what makes people do what they do,” Aroy said. “This motivation stuck with me, even now, as a filmmaker, people’s stories genuinely interest me.”
Born in Charlestown, Mass., and raised in Bakersfield, Calif., Aroy returned east to attend Boston College. She majored in psychology, partially influenced by her parents’ hopes that she’d pursue medicine. But it was the study of people that truly interested her, she said.
After graduation, Aroy joined the Peace Corps and served in the Dominican Republic. At the time, Aroy said topics like health education and HIV prevention were not widely taught in the country, which motivated her to produce her first documentary.
“It was a time when nobody was talking about the virus, and there was a lot of shame around it,” Aroy said. “But there are people who have the virus and are very brave to discuss it out loud, even more so on videos. And that was my first foray into documentary.”
From there, she pursued graduate studies at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. Clarence Ting, a friend from Berkeley who later collaborated with her on film projects, described Aroy as a driven and empathetic artist.
“Marissa’s a hustler,” Ting said. “She’s always trying to figure out what her next move is. She’s always trying to grow—not only professionally, but personally as well.”
Beyond her drive to succeed, Ting said Aroy has a unique ability to connect with people and understand their stories.
“She is also a very empathetic person, sensitive to both her colleagues and subjects of her documentaries,” Ting said. “She has a really good way with people and can truly get people to share their stories meaningfully.”
In recent years, Aroy has worked to highlight Asian American stories in an effort to shape the public memory of underrepresented communities.
Produced in 2014, her documentary Delano Manongs: Forgotten Heroes of the United Farm Workers focuses on Filipino farm workers who took part in the labor movement. The legacy of one of these farmers, Larry Itliong, has Aroy’s documentary.
“The documentary lives on,” Aroy said. “It is being taught in schools, and people are taking it further. There is now a musical made about Larry Itliong and a Larry Itliong Day in California. It really satisfies me, knowing I’ve left something.”
Recently, the documentary gained greater recognition after two parks were renamed in honor of the people it featured.
“It makes me pretty happy that … there’s two parks named after the Delano Manongs, the title of the documentary,” Aroy said. “It’s honoring them, but it’s also kind of honoring our documentary that we made about them.”
Aroy’s creative momentum has only continued to grow.
With her husband and filmmaking partner, Niall McKay, she co-founded Media Factory and has produced several award-winning films. One of their most impactful, Sikhs in America, earned them an Emmy Award in 2008.
Many of her documentaries seek to capture the history and spirit of being a Filipino American.
“I hope that I’ve brought awareness to people who really fought hard to get us the rights that we have,” Aroy said. “But also to show who we are as people.”
Stephanie Persson, BC ’95 and Aroy’s close friend, sees Aroy’s determination as a key factor in her career.
“She is someone who believed in herself and believed in her dreams, in what was important, and didn’t let others dictate what she should do and how she should do it,” Persson said. “Everything she does, she puts 110 percent in.”
Persson, who now works as a high school librarian in Virginia, has seen how Aroy’s work resonates with younger generations. When one of her students was researching Asian American representation, Persson reached out to Aroy, who immediately agreed to a virtual interview.
“She gave up her time,” Persson said. “Disregarding the time difference, since she was in Ireland, and served as a resource for an interview. It was an Asian young girl, and I just think that representation meant so much to her.”
This fall, Aroy’s work will take center stage at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
The exhibit, titled “How Can You Forget Me: Filipino American Stories”, will showcase short films produced by Aroy and McKay, as well as artifacts found in a historic Filipino lodge in Stockton, Calif.
“They found 26 trunks … filled with the belongings of all of these immigrants,” Aroy said. “They will be exhibiting three of those trunks in a gallery, and the exhibition videos were created by us.”
Aroy’s work is not limited to the documentary field. She recently completed a shadow directing traineeship on AMC+’s Sanctuary: A Witch’s Tale, during which she worked with director Hannah Quinn.
“I absolutely loved that experience,” Aroy said. “Now … I’m looking at both areas of the industry.”
Yet, behind the awards and recognitions lies a more personal struggle—one Aroy doesn’t shy away from discussing.
“When I told my father what I really wanted to do was make films, he told me no,” Aroy said. “He said, ‘No, you’re a minority. You’re a woman. You don’t know anybody in this business. Don’t do it.’And so I feel like, now, I am finally coming full circle and going, ‘Wait a second, this dream is available to me.’”
To support emerging artists with the same dream as hers, Arroy teaches filmmaking, encouraging her students to pursue their passions.
“I want to tell my students the opposite of what my father told me,” Aroy said. “When I have filmmaking students, I want to make sure that I encourage them to try it out while telling them about the realities of the field, instead of just squashing the dream. ”
She emphasized that being creative also means thinking practically.
“You are your own business,” Aroy said. “You have to invest in your business, market it, protect it… because that’s the only way to really allow yourself to flourish in every way.”
Aroy also noted that her success has come with a resistance back against doubts—both self-imposed and from others. She has been especially open about insecurities surrounding her identity and how they intersect with industry pressures.
“You’ve got to end the self-hate,” Aroy said. “Because that’s the only way to really allow yourself to flourish in every way.”
At the heart of Aroy’s journey is not just storytelling but also legacy-building. As her work becomes part of national exhibitions and schools honor the people she has highlighted, Aroy’s legacy continues to ripple outward.
Her advice to young filmmakers who might be afraid to take the leap? Start small, but start now.
“Everyone should be just going out and filming,” Aroy said. “Filming your friends, putting small things together. Look at Sean Baker, who just won the Oscar for Best Film Directing and for Best Film Editing. One of his films was a shot of tangerine, filmed on an iPhone, so it’s all there. You just have to start somewhere. Start with your phone.”
