Film: Light on a Hill
Logline: After the Eaton Fire, a Korean family’s restaurant becomes a hub for aid. As the community rebuilds, a mural by Robert Vargas shows how art heals. Told through mixed media and home footage by those who lived it, recovery rises through the ashes.
Synopsis: When the Eaton Fire destroyed thousands of homes in Altadena, one Korean family’s restaurant survived, though they lost their own home. Supported by their community and organizations, they turned their parking lot into a distribution center, providing meals and clothing to those in need. World-renowned artist Robert Vargas painted a hopeful mural on their wall, symbolizing how art can bring healing and renewal. Told through mixed media and personal home footage, this film reveals a powerful story of resilience, generosity, and recovery rising through the ashes.
Director: Myles Matsuno
Producers: Myles Matsuno, Lailanie Gadia
Assistant Producer: Whitney Matsuno
Starring: Janet Lee, Christy Lee, Jung Ja Lee, K. Sun Lee, & Robert Vargas
Cinematography: David Woo, Rob Filios, & Myles Matsuno
Production Sound Mixer: Nu Nguyen
On-Set Interpreter: Gina Lee
Transcribing Film Editor: Junseong Park
Production Assistants: Austin Janisch, Terry Fouche
Original Score: Summer Dregs
Additional Music: Chad Lawson
UPCOMING SCREENINGS
Updates will be coming soon!
Check here for more updates or subscribe to our email list to see when the film is coming to your city!
MEET THE TEAM
Myles Matsuno
Director, Producer
Myles Matsuno is a Los Angeles–born filmmaker who tells emotionally driven, visually rich stories about resilience, family, and community. Drawing from a mixed Japanese and Mexican background, he focuses on developing meaningful narratives that carry strong messages through visual aesthetics. His award-winning work includes the feature Christmas in July and the documentary First to Go: Story of the Kataoka Family, which chronicles his family's World War II incarceration and is distributed by New Day Films. Most recently, he directed Light on a Hill, a documentary following a Korean family's restaurant that became a hub for aid after the Eaton Fire devastated Altadena, continuing his commitment to stories that inspire, heal, and bring people together.
Beyond independent filmmaking, Matsuno has technical directed primetime broadcasts including The Academy Awards, Dancing with the Stars, and the NBA Finals, working alongside top industry leaders while maintaining his great grandfather's motto: honesty and kindness are best in business.
Lailanie Gadia
Producer
Raised in Guam, Lailanie Gadia is a Filipina American community builder, producer, and financial professional based in Los Angeles. As founder of Mango Stories, she is producing projects rooted in community and impact. She is Operations Director at the Asian American Documentary Network, supporting 2,000 film workers. Named a 2023 Documentary New Leader, she has spoken on panels related to filmmaker sustainability, representation, and funding while serving on festival juries. She graduated from Loyola Marymount University. She is a member of BGDM, Film Independent, Gold House Futures Network, Global Impact Producers Alliance and the Documentary Producers Alliance.
Her producing credits include CAAM supported Bridging Our Stories (2026), CAPE funded Milk & Honey (2026), Third Act (Sundance 2025), and Dive Bar (Alaska Airlines).
-
![]()
David Woo
DP + Cinematography
-
![]()
Rob Filios
DP + Cinematography
-
![]()
Nhung Nguyen
Production Sound Mixer
-
![]()
Summer Dregs
Film Composer
-
![]()
Chad Lawson
Additional Music
