One lazy afternoon, back when I was still little, my sister wanted to drag me along to watch a movie. Knowing that there were no cartoons showing in theaters that time, I wasn’t very enthusiastic about it. Won over by a combination of affectionate pleading and a feeling of being obligated to follow her because she was my sister, I relented and went with her to the nearest movie house to watch Face/Off. Though it was certainly not the greatest movie of all time, what I could not forget about it was that it was my first exposure to a director’s commentary — the director being my sister, who was never shy about sharing her take on the significant scenes of the film. One very memorable scene was when she taught me the meaning of irony and paradox when Somewhere over the Rainbow was playing during a rampageous gunfight scene between Nicolas Cage and John Travolta. After hearing my sister’s explanation, it was the first time I sensed enlightenment while watching a movie by feeling the pain and misery of violence evoked by the conflicting themes of the mellow song and the violent scene. Watching films would never be the same again.
Inspired by my sister’s act of imparting wisdom, I would eagerly suggest movies or stage plays to my advanced class students at Xavier School as an incentive paper for them. It was easy to do, as money was not a problem. About three weeks ago, we learned about an essay-writing contest sponsored by the Film Development Council of the Philippines to encourage students to watch the movie Emir. Having saved enough money, we launched a mini-competition in my new school and sponsored five student-scholars to watch the film at SM Mall of Asia.
At first, the choice of venue seemed like a bad decision. Arriving two hours before the film started, I thought it would be nice to let my students explore the mall (two of them had not been there before). It turned out to be a bit frustrating because there were so many interesting places to discover but having no money, my students could only observe the ice skaters or peer inside Time Zone. The Science Center would have been a perfect educative place to take them to, but the price of tickets is too much for a teacher’s salary.
It was very fortunate that our main agenda for the day did not disappoint. Emir proved to be a wonderful film that was both amusing and thought-provoking. Emir brought us to places and experiences that films uniquely reveal by arriving at depth and transcending barriers of time, space, and in this case, even financial constraints. The musical talks about the odysseys of our overseas Filipino workers. Beverly Salviejo, Dulce, and a cast of mostly theater actors provide that unique sense of humor that is innately part of our shared experience as Filipinos. In between the comic scenes are profound lines that make the audience reflect and, in the process, relate to the highs and lows of the lives of our kababayans in other countries. Without a doubt, the most unforgettable scene was the emotional exchange between Ester (played by Dulce) and Amelia (Franceska Farr) about opportunities and fate. Ester, being the outgoing mayordoma of the house, exhorts Amelia to go to the mistress of the house, but Amelia would have none of it as a sign of respect for Ester. Amelia’s decision to hold on to her culture’s sense of pakikipagkapwa would later on save her life and give her the happy ending she is destined to have.
I do not know if the five students I took out with me would have a chance of winning the essay-writing contest. Honestly, I am not thinking of the contest anymore. The expressions on their faces after the film were enough to make the trip worthwhile. Yes, they were smiling, proof that they obviously enjoyed the film. But I also saw wonder and amazement — the very same look that all teachers recognize when they have just introduced their students to worlds of wisdom and insight. Perhaps, it was also the same look that my sister saw in me the first time she treated me to a movie.
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For my Ate Vanessa, the original teacher in the family.