Ang Kwento Nating Dalawa 2h433r

CASIS, AMICA KLEIR RAEMI 1030H

S 0730H –

BACOM 2A ILAGAN

MS. CECILE

ANG KWENTO NATING DALAWA (THE STORY OF US THAT NEVER WAS) WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY NESTOR ABROGENA

Love comes in different forms and stages in life. One’s indescribable interconnection with another is uncontrollable – it always happens naturally.

Love is different from other emotions and feelings. It can happen to people with similarities or to people who are very different from each other. Love can work in odd yet very epic ways typically between childhood friends, high school enemies, officemates, or even between a teacher and his student. If there’s one thing that you have to be sure about, ask the soul. It’s the soul that always knows everything. Love comes in different forms and stages

in

life.

One’s

indescribable

interconnection

with

another

is

uncontrollable – it always happens naturally.

Rain and traffic are my company last August 29, 2015 before watching the film in Cine Adarna inside the University of the Philippines – Diliman. I had second thoughts while driving in the middle of the pouring rain. I asked myself for more than twenty times if I should watch the film or not since my

friend said that I can watch it on YouTube anyway. I was really not in myself during that evening. I keep on asking myself why I should watch the said film. “’Ang Kwento Nating Dalawa’? Seriously parang ang boring naman. Hindi rin naman gwapo yung bida.” (Ang Kwento Nating Dalawa? Seriously it sounds boring. The main character’s not good looking either.). Plus, it is an indie film; talk about no budget and low quality production. That’s what I told myself for the rest of the drive until I got inside the University campus. Yes, I still went to UP even though I was having second thoughts. I asked the guard on duty on how to go to the Cine Adarna and he gave me the directions. Since I was out of my mind that night, I got lost. I have been roaming around the campus for more than forty-five minutes. I was close to giving up until I saw a group of teenagers that look like college students too. I stopped and asked them how to go to Cine Adarna. They told me that they are also going to watch a film there and since they know how to go there, I offered them a ride. A tit for a tat.

When we arrived on the location, I was still being unsure. My new found friends told me that they were able to watch the film during the world premiere. I asked them if the film was good and they said yes. “Actually, it was really worth it. You know it’s not like the usual local films that we always get to watch here (in the Philippines)” Janica, my new friend, said and the others agreed. We bought tickets and ate dinner before getting inside the theater. The atmosphere was dull at first until my friends from St. Paul

arrived. My mind was not set to watch a film so I felt sleepy by seven; right before the production let us get in the theater.

When I got inside the theater, I waited for my friends so that I’ll be able to know where to sit. Since they will surely come late, I chose the seats instead. The film was about to start when my friends arrived. To make me feel comfortable, my friend gave me isaw (grilled chicken intestine) since she knows that I have been craving for one. After five minutes, the film started. At first, I find it really uninteresting and lifeless since it started with a guy walking on the sidewalks of Katipunan. Just that. Nothing catchy and interesting except for the fact that I always walk there too. My interest got fueled up when Isa (played by Emmanuelle Vera) entered the scene. You can already see that Sam (played by Nicco Manalo) and Isa has this indescribable attraction towards each other. I first thought that they are just best friends since I didn’t feel the love between them because there is the presence of tension until the over part.

The part of the film that happened on the over is my most-loved part because it is really very gripping. It might be a bummer for other people but I think that for an aspiring scriptwriter like Isa, it is very realistic. That is

the part where Sam asked Isa about her ongoing script and she said that she is having a hard time writing it. What is compelling about it is when Sam told Isa to write a story about them instead. I thought that Isa was just using Sam because he is smart but then because of their facial expressions and reactions I realized that Isa and Sam has a secret and not so legal kind of relationship like Romeo and Juliet’s forbidden love; their relationship is absolutely complicated. That’s how the story picked up.

This is the kind of film that the audience will quickly feel the director’s or the writer’s ion; A kind of film that will be non-sense if you do not watch it until the end. The long takes are very important for the plot of the film. With those takes, the story became more and more realistic. It has proven that actions speak louder than words. Seeing Isa and Sam on long train rides, made me feel excited on the next scene. Whenever they ride the train or the cab, the curiosity inside me just thrillingly lights up. In my opinion, the story of this film is highly original. It is the kind of film that is really “friendly” to the audience. By friendly, I mean it is very easy to hold on to, catch up with, and the audience can also escape with the characters. This is not just a film. This is art.

Another thing that I love and appreciate about this experience is the question and answer part with the casts and crews right after the film

viewing. They told us that what we have watched is so far the fourth cut. That explains why the film has missing pieces or parts. A good example is when we got intrigued by something that Sam saw in his laptop and then the next scene is inside the Saint Benilde- SDA building and students are looking at him like they know something. One of the crew said that what Sam saw was an e-mail reminding him about the restrictions and rules about the relationship between students and teachers. That crew asked us if that change made a big difference on the film. It made me realize that the ending will be nonsense or less exciting if they did not cut that part. What made me more excited is when they told us that there will be an sequel.

This is a real masterpiece for someone like Mr. Nestor Abrogena, a student of a directing class and the director of the said film. The plot twists are amazing and really captivating. The production crew and the actors really accomplished their goal and thrilled the people who watched their film. The casts of characters are absolutely effective and I can say that this film is well-casted,

well-directed,

and

well-produced.

If

this

film

will

have

screenings, I will watch it faster than a lightning and an in love teenager’s heartbeat. This is absolutely a must – see indie film. With that, I can say that watching this film is really worth the traffic, the rain, and getting lost inside the university campus. People who hate local films will surely change their point of view and judgements.