paper boat ⛵️ 

My love for films and documentaries has led me to join a nationwide short film competition where I directed a short film entitled “Bangkang Papel” or Paper Boat. With zero training and no prior experience in filmmaking, all I had was the impact the Battle of Marawi, a five-month long conflict between armed militants and the Philippine Army, had on me. Fathers fighting a “war” they believed in and sons or children losing them in the process.  I wrote the script but presented two truths of families from opposing political ideologies. Besting others, the script was chosen for production and was entered in a nationwide competition for short film sponsored by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. 

 

While it won first place in that competition, which gave our team the acknowledgement for a job well done, this experience has taught me the value of hard work and perseverance. The team had to raise funds for production and bear the long hours of shooting scenes, not to mention post-production work.