Asian Cinema - The Experience in Words

I know that Teacher's Day had already passed, but here's something on a professor here in the Ateneo that have made significant impact on my life, Fr. Nick Cruz. This was product of reflecting while writing my final requirements for my Asian Cinema class,which he currently teaches.  

Couldn't find any pictures of him actually teaching a class, so this will make do 

As part of my research for the paper, I Google-d Fr. Nick Cruz and found an article entitled, 'Making Movies Matter' in the Daily Inquirer (that happened to be written by my former Lit teacher back in freshman year) that celebrated his festschrift launch and commemorated his 60th year as a Jesuit priest and professor in the Ateneo. A late bloomer of knowledge I am, looking at his past achievements and credentials made me realize how much he contributed for the Philippines film industry. 

Initially, I didn't intend on enlisting for Asian Cinema as an Com elective. Thanks to a class that got dissolved at the last minute, I eventually picked his class to cater the film buff side of me.
As a Com major mixing Ad & PR/Journ tracks, I was a bit disappointed at first since I didn't have any classes from the Journalism track. Nevertheless, since the grading requirements for this class was mostly from the reflection papers we write, the writer inside of me was satisfied.

Out of the all the classes this semester, I have to admit that Asian Cinema would probably be the most laid-back. Why? Because those who have attended his cinema classes would agree that all you have to do is to submit reflection papers and not exceed the maximum amount of cuts. It is up to you take that to your advantage, grade-wise or in terms of appreciation for culture.
As a writer for g, conveying your personality through the gift of words is important. Through his reflection papers, it helped me break the bounds and craft ideas that inputs expression to a whole new level.
So what can I say about him as a teacher? He's simply a likeable and interesting character. He may not be the most chatty professors but he possesses that aura of a man with great wit, and will only speak when he has to. One may wonder how his enthusiastic passion for film start because apart from being a long-time professor in the Ateneo, he is also a MTRCB (Movie and Television Review and Classification Board) board member. Other than that, he definitely knows what he's talking about when it comes to films and has a tendency to laugh at his own jokes. 

Unless you aren't a huge fan of watching films, you should definitely take his class but don't take it simply because you want an easy A though. Even though it is a  laidback class, take it because you want to take the art of film appreciation seriously. In a way, it allows you to teach yourself. The beauty of watching a good film and the way it captures emotion through the tapestry of image and sound is something highly intriguing. What can I say, it allowed me to deepen my appreciation for film and aware that there are so much films out there that go beyond what Hollywood has to offer.

After all, college education is not just about getting the grades but rather, finding what you are truly passionate about. For me, it has deepened my appreciation for films and brought me out of the bounds of the repetitive cycle of what Hollywood has to offer us.
Right now there are two prevalent thoughts, 1) I'm considering on being a serious film critic in the future but only when I achieve that certain level of influence in the media world and 2) Where can I get a copy of his 'Movies that Matter' festschrift?
Here are just some of the movies we watched:

This Korean melodrama was directed by Kwak Jae-yong, who also made My Sassy Girl. This was definitely my favorite since it had the right combination of sentimentality and comedy. 

A captivating story on a brother and his younger sister who loses his  shoes. A simple plot yes, but this goes to show how one man's trash is another person's treasure.

A local independent film that has already been making heads turn internationally. Director Francis Xavier Pasion happens to be a teacher (Indie Films) in Ateneo so he stopped by the day we watched this and talked about how it was based on his experiences.