‘Nurse the Dead’ brings Filipino storytelling, healthcare stories to Vancouver

ASM, Philippine Canadian Inquirer
October 02, 2026

Photo courtesy: IMDb

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Filipino supernatural comedy-drama “Nurse the Dead” was brought to Vancouver for a special community screening last September 29, putting Filipino storytelling and the experiences of Filipino healthcare workers in the spotlight.

The Vancouver event featured a screening of the series along with a red-carpet celebration and appearances by members of its creative team, including lead actress Jelynn Sophia Malone, directors Wesley Villarica and Drea Castro, creator and showrunner Mark Labella, and producer Marvin Aritrangco. 

The Filipino Legacy Society (FLS) promoted the event as part of its expanding cultural programming in Vancouver and its broader effort to strengthen spaces for Filipino arts, culture and community engagement.

“Nurse the Dead” follows Noa Reyes, played by Malone, a hardworking Filipina nurse who must balance the pressures of her job and personal life while possessing the unusual ability to interact with the dead at her healthcare facility. 

The series premiered on iWant on June 12 and was filmed in Los Angeles. ABS-CBN describes it as iWant’s first Filipino-produced series filmed in Hollywood, with Filipino-American filmmaker Labella at the helm. The cast also includes Anthony Jennings, Princess Punzalan, Ruby Rodriguez, Gigette Reyes and Tootsie Guevara. 

Beyond its supernatural and comedic elements, the series draws heavily from the experiences of Filipino nurses working abroad.

Labella has said the story was inspired in part by his mother, a nursing professional in the United States, and was created to put Filipino faces and stories on screen while recognizing the experiences of Filipino nurses. 

That theme carries particular resonance in Canada, where Filipino Canadians have a significant presence in healthcare and caregiving professions.

The Vancouver screening followed other Filipino cultural programming supported by FLS, including a September screening of DreamWorks Animation’s “Forgotten Island.” The organization is also working toward a permanent Filipino Cultural Centre in Vancouver while developing programming through its interim cultural space.

For the “Nurse the Dead” event, organizers also planned introductory acting and screenwriting workshops for participants interested in learning more about the entertainment industry.

The screening added Vancouver to the communities where “Nurse the Dead” has been presented to Filipino audiences. Since its June premiere, iWant said the series recorded strong overseas viewership, including in Canada, the United States and Australia.