Kape't Pelikula at University of the Philippines- Diliman

For a while, it was wonderful to feel like a student again.

Earlier today, I was in the company of film students and movie buffs at the University of the Philippines-Diliman. To be in this crowd, it’s easy to channel the vibe of the undergraduates: ambitious yet happy-go-lucky. It’s infectious.

A seminar that is “Kape’t Pelikula,” it’s unlikely for film enthusiasts like me to pass up this encounter with like-minded individuals over a cup of coffee. Especially if, in this case, visual artist Kiri Dalena, film critic Richard Bolisay and film director and educator Nick Deocampo served as the speakers.

A few days prior, I got an acceptance letter via e-mail saying I was among the chosen few to be part of it. It said registration starts at 9 in the morning. For a night owl like me, this is utter torture, probably like King Sun kissing Dracula. But my desire to attend was so strong, it dragged me there and I was just in time. Did I mention this was all for free? Thanks, UP Cinema Arts Society.

Red Flag. Requiem for M. Memorial for Filipino Journalists. Kiri helmed them all and we were lucky to see snippets of her masterpieces, which backstory she further explained. A self-confessed human rights activist, it is through the arts, including film, where Kiri voices her standpoint. They are all close to home so unsurprisingly, while in the middle of her discussion, she got teary-eyed; a testament of unwavering devotion to her craft and advocacy. This determination, paired with her boldness, is inspiring.

Whereas Kiri catered on experimental documentary filmmaking, Richard’s forte is film criticism mainly accessible through his Lilok Pelikula website. Animated and candid, he got everybody hooked in his discussion on the roles of the critic, filmmaker and the audience as well as the culture of criticism in the country, stressing that Pinoys are mostly balat-sibuyas so to speak.

Recognizing his purpose was to encourage aspiring filmmakers, his best piece of advice is this: Start Somewhere. His best example is fellow UP alumna Antoinette Jadaone who, before making it big in the mainstream movie production, had first exhibited her talent in her earlier short films as a student such as ‘Plano and Saling Pusa. He showed both.

I also witnessed a sneak peek of Nick Deocampo’s 3d documentary on the evolution of Philippine Cinema. That two-minute preview definitely left us hanging. Obviously, his one-hour talk is not enough. I wonder what it would be like to be part of his class, or what if I finally pursue a post-graduate degree on film. By then I could use as a legitimate excuse to devour all those books and documentaries he made, which he was proudly displaying on the table in front of us. “Para akong nagbebenta… mamaya mag-usap tayo,” he quips. And laughter filled the room.

This man is burning with passion. It shows. He confesses, “My main motivation is production of knowledge as well as self-expression.” He adds, “What is the greatest need of this country? Education. Education was my key out of poverty.”

I sat there at a UP auditorium with a touch of wistfulness that takes me back to my student days. How ambitious I had been. How some things changed the moment I had stepped out of the university. But also in that moment, I was filled with hopefulness, rejuvenated that I am not alone in this pursuit. And may be, one day I’ll go back to school and be a student again. Yet if not, I’ll always take pleasure in being a student of Life.