Amistad, A Movie Reflection

This post is my reflection paper about the movie "Amistad" in my subject Philosophy of Human Person.

The realities of slavery and human labor were clearly depicted in the movie Amistad. It showed how slaves were gathered and caught, brought in to the market to be sold, and their treatment while on their way to be sold. It was clear that they were not treated as a human being but rather as a material that can be bought and sold to the market and whose owners can do anything to them without them having the right to complain. The movie also showed how, amidst all the conflicts and difficulties, there are still people who want to help them be free. There are still people who care more about the humanity of people and their right to have their own life in their own places.

In the beginning of the movie, we would see the slaves as merciless and cruel because they killed their captors without hesitation. But as the movie progressed and looked back to their experiences before the detention, you would see the reason behind every brutal stab of the slaves. Not only were they treated ruthlessly before, but they were also deprived of the life they may have live. Their loved ones and comrades were killed, others were denied with food, some were raped, and others were thrown to the sea for very irrational reasons. We can see that human labor and human life were not really respected and acknowledged.

It's the Uncertainty

Waiting for someone is an experience every person has been into at least once in his/her life. Waiting to be recognized by parents, to be accepted by friends and to be loved by someone are all experiences that people find themselves into everytime in life. But what’s so bad in waiting? Why do people hate waiting?

Well, I guess it’s because of the uncertainty that comes with the wait. It’s the feeling that we may be waiting for nothing or for something that might never come. People want assurances and having to wait gives off the idea that nothing is assured as of the moment. When you wait for the result of an exam where you think you did well, there is still that feeling of doubt that something might get wrong. When you wait for the result of a job interview, there is that feeling of uneasiness that you might not get the job after all. When you wait for someone you like to love you back, there is that feeling of fear of being rejected. In all of those instances, there comes the uncertainty or doubt that something may or may not come and we may end up being hurt or discouraged.

My 3D Experience with Friends

It was an ordinary day in the office when we, the working students, thought of something to do. We decided to save a portion of our allowance everyday to save money for our “agreed-upon” Resident Evil Retribution-movie-watching together. We never missed a day while saving and so the amount we saved was truly abundant. We were able to save and the movie-watching plan was on its way.

From my experience

Watching Resident Evil Retribution in 3D was really thrilling especially since ‘twas my first time. Sitting in a couch wearing 3D glasses was a new experience and it was indeed entertaining. Dodging the knives thrown by Alice and catching the coins fired by their guns, I caught my hands flying up in the air touching nothing. I feel ignorant at that time. But like everybody else, there is always a first time and usually, you become ignorant during that first time. Anyway, all throughout the movie, I controlled myself not to scream even in the most terrifying part. The feeling was different and unusual but I’d love to experience it again.

Ateneo joins Pamulak Parade, Kadayawan 2012

(this post is from my previous blog which I decided to delete because of redundancy.)

The whole Kadayawan experience was amazing; all the efforts and hardworks of the people involved was worth it and the smile in the faces of the people watching was priceless.  

From the preparation until the day of the parade, people from different offices and departments of Ateneo de Davao gave their best and surely, the positive results were overwhelming. We started activity at 4:30 am where free breakfast was served. Students, scholars, faculty, staff, and administrators all gathered in Thibault area for the delicious breakfast that gave them the energy to finish the parade. At 5:00 am, all the members of the Ateneo community gathered in Finster open area to practice the cheers that made the whole parade lively and animated. At 5:30, they gathered at Roxas Avenue for the parade positioning. That same time, the highlight of the Ateneo contingent, the Blue Knight and the Lady Knight came out with their costumes that were indeed astonishing. 

The Knights 5 hours before the parade.

We expected the parade to last for four (4) hours. But instead of finishing the parade at 12:00 noon, we finished way earlier at 8:30 am. Although it didn't last long, we enjoyed the whole activity and our eyes feasted with the floats of other contingents that were really amazing. Kadayawan Festival is really enjoyable and it proved that "it's more fun in the Philippines!"