Twenty-five years after burning his school blazer in protest of the toxic culture at Melbourne's St Kevin's College, James J. Robinson is making waves with his debut feature film, First Light. Released just days ago, First Light has garnered attention for its thoughtful drama about an elderly nun, Sister Yolanda (Ruby Ruiz), living in an ageing convent in the Philippines.

James J. Robinson, 30, grew up in Ashwood, a suburb in Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs. He has Filipino-Australian parents and was raised devoutly Catholic. His mother, Sheila Domingo Robinson, migrated to Australia as a teenager when president Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law in the 1970s. His father, Jack, is an accountant.

Robinson developed First Light while working as a photographer in the US, where he got to glimpse the gilded world of celebrities like Rihanna, Lily-Rose Depp, and Sydney Sweeney. He says that his faith in the church was tested when a young man died after a construction accident.

First Light is a gentle drama that explores the complexities of Catholicism and identity. Sister Yolanda is a character Robinson identifies with, describing her as 'this grace I feel like I had, especially when I was a lot younger and my commitment to the church was very unsullied.' Other characters in the film include a wealthy woman, Linda Dela Cruz (Maricel Soriano), who represents his capitalist side, and a young nun, Sister Arlene (Kare Adea), who wonders if the convent is right for her.

Robinson shot First Light in an old convent in Rizal, in the mountains east of Manila. He had to have his script translated into the local Tagalog language.

'I found new forms of belief in God that isn’t so tied to Catholicism but it really shapes the way that I see the world, as much as I disagree with the institutional side of it.'

Shooting First Light allowed Robinson to reconnect with his mother's homeland. 'It wasn't like, “I have to shoot my first film there”,' he says. 'But it felt interesting to make this film in the Philippines and see the parallels between the way that Catholicism can exist and become intertwined with politics and class and find there's a resonance with how that happens in Australia.'

Robinson's decision to make a film about Catholicism and identity may seem unexpected given his past as a rebellious teenager. However, he says that 'it's impossible to extract me completely from Catholicism.' He describes himself as 'maybe still a Catholic but my version of it is completely my own.'

First Light is a bold and thought-provoking film that explores the complexities of Catholicism and identity. With its gentle drama and nuanced characters, it is a must-see for anyone interested in exploring the human side of faith.

James J. Robinson is not an elderly nun and he doesn't live in the Philippines. In fact, growing up in Ashwood, he had never been to the country of his mother's birth until he was 19.