An Educator (2017) User Reviews

Effective, realistic and heart-warming movie.

[tristoriaeverlasting · 9/10 · 23 October 2019]

This movie tells the story of three generations of our modern day heroes, our teachers, which inspired me a lot. The struggles that teachers face day by day and the fulfillment that they achieve on the other hand, influence us to value our teachers more. I admire the perseverance of the main characters which was embodied by great actresses like Anna Luna (Iah Seraspi), Angeli Bayani (Gennie Panguelo) and Gloria Sevilla (Esperanza Bautista). The film revolved around: the respected educator and most oustanding principal (Bautista), the Aeta teacher for Aetas who tried many times before she passed the LET (Panguelo), and the social media sensation and LET topnotcher (Seraspi). In one scene, Iah had nothing but fish crackers with rice for dinner. It made my heart crunch a bit, and I felt guilty. Iah was that contented, and at the same time determined to finish her studies and pass the board exam, nonetheless if she was experiencing poverty. There was another, when Iah and Gennie went to the school where Gennie teaches Aeta children to read and write. The smiles of the children were enough to make my heart melt. If I were Gennie, and be called as a teacher by those sweet children, I would be so flattered. The last one is when Mrs. Espie's daughter asked for a bonding time with her, after all these years. It was a heartbreak for me. It showed the vocation of teachers in their profession, which includes sacrificing other things in life. Imagine to be in the field of teaching for 36 years? If it isn't called passion, then I do not know how to classify it. The lines of the characters are clear and straight to the point. There are some dead air moments, but it is not that noticeable because of the breathtaking sceneries that are featured in the movie. The "kilig" moments of Iah and Poldo made me smile, as well as the funny and serious moments of Gennie and his husband. The script was overall a good job, it was one of the elements which made the impact to the audience stronger. There are some scenes that seem very dim to me; maybe its just because of my eyes or because Gennie and Iah use gas lamps in their houses. The musical score fits reasonably with the mood of every scene. It made the movie more colorful. To sum it up, Maestra is truly a must watch, and it is the mirror of the human side of the teachers, who are percieved as superheroes in the classroom. This movie is not just an eye- opener but also, makes us realize how relevant our teachers to us and how selfless they are to tear a part from them to complete us. Who are they to say "teacher lang?" (just a teacher) if without teachers, there will be no other professions to exist. This movie says it all, and it is one that proves the Filipino independent films are worthy of everyone's eyes, ears, and heart.