Social Realities
I watched two war-related films last week of January: Blood Diamond and Innocent Voices.
Brian and I watched Blood Diamond, Tuesday at Greenbelt 3. I thought it was just one of those Hollywood films that were too commercialized to be true and exaggerated beyond imagination but it wasn't. The film was about the blood diamond setting in Africa. It was referred to as blood diamond because people fight over the control of diamond mines to get money from the market. It was so bloody and brutal. I think I even battered Brian too much because of the graphic scenes. An example would be when one of the rebels cut down the right hand of a captured native so that native won't be able to vote *shudders* I don't want to spoil the film for those want to watch, though so I won't tell the whole story.
While watching the film, my desire to volunteer for the UN became alive again. Ever since high school, I wanted to go to war zones and help people. But then same as with any other "normal" people, I opted to finish a course that would get me a high-paying job (which didn't happen) and worked for an industry that concerns itself with earning lots of money.
In one of the scenes there, Leonardo DiCaprio said "I am where I'm supposed to be". Am I really where I'm supposed to be?
Then, Thursday, I went out with two close friends, Janice and Grace and watched Innocent Voices (Voces Innocentes). It's a film about the civil war at El Salvador during the 1980's. In this movie, boys as young as 12 years old were forced by the military to become soldiers. At an early age, they were exposed to gun shots and bombs every day of their lives. One of their options is to flee the country and go to the US for a chance at a better life. The Grandma there said "Those who leave struggle more. Those who fight stay."
As I look at these harsh realities, I wonder what are we doing to change all these? Do we just let it happen? As it is, a lot of the Filipino people are suffering from war too like in Mindanao and Cordillera. Do we just leave them to face all these?
These are all just questions that enter my mind now and then and yet... here I am still sitting in an air-conditioned room earning my meager salary and being apathetic of these social realities...
Brian and I watched Blood Diamond, Tuesday at Greenbelt 3. I thought it was just one of those Hollywood films that were too commercialized to be true and exaggerated beyond imagination but it wasn't. The film was about the blood diamond setting in Africa. It was referred to as blood diamond because people fight over the control of diamond mines to get money from the market. It was so bloody and brutal. I think I even battered Brian too much because of the graphic scenes. An example would be when one of the rebels cut down the right hand of a captured native so that native won't be able to vote *shudders* I don't want to spoil the film for those want to watch, though so I won't tell the whole story.
While watching the film, my desire to volunteer for the UN became alive again. Ever since high school, I wanted to go to war zones and help people. But then same as with any other "normal" people, I opted to finish a course that would get me a high-paying job (which didn't happen) and worked for an industry that concerns itself with earning lots of money.
In one of the scenes there, Leonardo DiCaprio said "I am where I'm supposed to be". Am I really where I'm supposed to be?
Then, Thursday, I went out with two close friends, Janice and Grace and watched Innocent Voices (Voces Innocentes). It's a film about the civil war at El Salvador during the 1980's. In this movie, boys as young as 12 years old were forced by the military to become soldiers. At an early age, they were exposed to gun shots and bombs every day of their lives. One of their options is to flee the country and go to the US for a chance at a better life. The Grandma there said "Those who leave struggle more. Those who fight stay."
As I look at these harsh realities, I wonder what are we doing to change all these? Do we just let it happen? As it is, a lot of the Filipino people are suffering from war too like in Mindanao and Cordillera. Do we just leave them to face all these?
These are all just questions that enter my mind now and then and yet... here I am still sitting in an air-conditioned room earning my meager salary and being apathetic of these social realities...
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