This is to wrap up my last HIFF experience with HPU (as I will be graduating in December, YAY!).
Q: How many and what films did you see?
A: I saw 2 films “The Babadook” and “The Pa Boys”
Q: Why did choose those particular films?
A: I chose “The Babadook” because it was a horror film and I don’t particularly enjoy watching scary movies, but for some reason, I was really intrigued by it. As for “The Pa Boys,” a few reasons why I chose to watch this film are as follows: it was filmed in New Zealand, involved reggae music and revolved around the Maori culture
Q: Which social and media press event did you attend?
A: I was unable to attend any press events this year. The only one I heard about was the opening press conference that I couldn’t make it because I had class in the morning. I tried researching for other opportunities for other press events, but couldn’t find any, which I thought was kind of peculiar because in previous years, there were other events that we, as HPU students involved with HIFF, could attend.
Q: What was the highlight of the film festival for you personally?
A: A highlight of the festival was watching “The Pa Boys.” I can honestly say that it was one of the best films I’ve seen in a long time, I really enjoyed and would highly recommend for everyone to see it.
Q: What did participating in HIFF mean to you, and what did you learn in general?
A: This is my third time being a part of HIFF. I was very fortunate to have been involved with this festival two other times prior to this one. When I discovered my multimedia class with Pete Britos was collaborating with HIFF once again, I was so excited. HPU has many resources and I think their partnership with HIFF is one of the greatest opportunities I have ever been able to been involved with. Watching films from different countries, going to press events and meeting famous producers and actors – it’s a great overall experience.
Q: Have any of the films influenced you in any way or challenged your ideas or values?
A: I am actually planning on going on a trip to Australia and New Zealand in early 2015, which may have also played a factor in choosing which films I wanted to see because “The Babadook” was filmed in Australia and “The Pa Boys,” as I previously mentioned, was filmed in New Zealand. “The Pa Boys” gave me glimpses of what I can expect when I get there, as it portrayed some of its scenic beauty and serene landscapes.
None of the films I saw this year challenged my ideas or values in any way.
Q: Was there something you enjoyed or hated about the film(s) you saw, perhaps something you are still thinking about?
A: “The Babadook” left me a little confused at the end and it made me question the whether the Babadook creature was just a figment of their imagination or if it was an actual spiritual creature that manifested from the other characters’ fears? Which was a little unsettling.
“The Pa Boys” was amazing. I went to watch it with a friend of mine and we happened to arrive at the theater 30 minutes late because we discovered later that we were at the wrong theater. But even arriving half an hour late to the film, I thought it was really good. From the cinematography to the music, I enjoyed every minutes of it. And the cast, oh my goodness, whoever casted that film was on point because the main actors in the film were literally breath taking. And did I mention their voices? Boy can they sing, too. Talk about “taking my breath away…”
Q: What did you learn about the different cultures represented at HIFF?
A: Whenever I get the chance to work with HIFF for one of my classes at school, it’s something I always look forward to. I think it’s a great way to learn about another country and get immersed for an hour or two in its culture. Something that I learned from “The Pa Boys” was that much of the Maori culture is similar to the Hawaiian culture. One of the characters, Tau, spoke a lot about the spirituality of the land and the sky and one line in particular that was said was “breath is life and life is breath.” This really resembles the culture of Hawaii as its people are also spiritually connected to the land and its other resources.
Q: Is this collaboration a useful learning or professional experience?
A: I highly believe that this collaboration with HIFF is a great learning and professional experience. I don’t think very many students get free passes to watch films and go to press events, so when given the chance, I think we should all take advantage of it and learn as much as we can. I am largely intrigued about learning from another culture and I believe most people should feel the same way because being culturally aware and doing things different from what you’re used to, can give you a whole new perspective on life.
Q: Would you recommend HIFF to a friend or family member? If so, why?
A: I would, without a doubt, recommend HIFF to friends, family members, peers, and even strangers on the street because like I mentioned before, it’s just a great learning experience to learn about a culture that’s different from your own.
Q: Any other recommendations or insights you would like to share?
A: THANKS HIFF!
To read about more reviews, stories and experiences from other HPU students, click here >> HIFF
Click on the image below to check out their official website:
Q: How many and what films did you see?
A: I saw 2 films “The Babadook” and “The Pa Boys”
Q: Why did choose those particular films?
A: I chose “The Babadook” because it was a horror film and I don’t particularly enjoy watching scary movies, but for some reason, I was really intrigued by it. As for “The Pa Boys,” a few reasons why I chose to watch this film are as follows: it was filmed in New Zealand, involved reggae music and revolved around the Maori culture
Q: Which social and media press event did you attend?
A: I was unable to attend any press events this year. The only one I heard about was the opening press conference that I couldn’t make it because I had class in the morning. I tried researching for other opportunities for other press events, but couldn’t find any, which I thought was kind of peculiar because in previous years, there were other events that we, as HPU students involved with HIFF, could attend.
Q: What was the highlight of the film festival for you personally?
A: A highlight of the festival was watching “The Pa Boys.” I can honestly say that it was one of the best films I’ve seen in a long time, I really enjoyed and would highly recommend for everyone to see it.
Q: What did participating in HIFF mean to you, and what did you learn in general?
A: This is my third time being a part of HIFF. I was very fortunate to have been involved with this festival two other times prior to this one. When I discovered my multimedia class with Pete Britos was collaborating with HIFF once again, I was so excited. HPU has many resources and I think their partnership with HIFF is one of the greatest opportunities I have ever been able to been involved with. Watching films from different countries, going to press events and meeting famous producers and actors – it’s a great overall experience.
Q: Have any of the films influenced you in any way or challenged your ideas or values?
A: I am actually planning on going on a trip to Australia and New Zealand in early 2015, which may have also played a factor in choosing which films I wanted to see because “The Babadook” was filmed in Australia and “The Pa Boys,” as I previously mentioned, was filmed in New Zealand. “The Pa Boys” gave me glimpses of what I can expect when I get there, as it portrayed some of its scenic beauty and serene landscapes.
None of the films I saw this year challenged my ideas or values in any way.
Q: Was there something you enjoyed or hated about the film(s) you saw, perhaps something you are still thinking about?
A: “The Babadook” left me a little confused at the end and it made me question the whether the Babadook creature was just a figment of their imagination or if it was an actual spiritual creature that manifested from the other characters’ fears? Which was a little unsettling.
“The Pa Boys” was amazing. I went to watch it with a friend of mine and we happened to arrive at the theater 30 minutes late because we discovered later that we were at the wrong theater. But even arriving half an hour late to the film, I thought it was really good. From the cinematography to the music, I enjoyed every minutes of it. And the cast, oh my goodness, whoever casted that film was on point because the main actors in the film were literally breath taking. And did I mention their voices? Boy can they sing, too. Talk about “taking my breath away…”
Q: What did you learn about the different cultures represented at HIFF?
A: Whenever I get the chance to work with HIFF for one of my classes at school, it’s something I always look forward to. I think it’s a great way to learn about another country and get immersed for an hour or two in its culture. Something that I learned from “The Pa Boys” was that much of the Maori culture is similar to the Hawaiian culture. One of the characters, Tau, spoke a lot about the spirituality of the land and the sky and one line in particular that was said was “breath is life and life is breath.” This really resembles the culture of Hawaii as its people are also spiritually connected to the land and its other resources.
Q: Is this collaboration a useful learning or professional experience?
A: I highly believe that this collaboration with HIFF is a great learning and professional experience. I don’t think very many students get free passes to watch films and go to press events, so when given the chance, I think we should all take advantage of it and learn as much as we can. I am largely intrigued about learning from another culture and I believe most people should feel the same way because being culturally aware and doing things different from what you’re used to, can give you a whole new perspective on life.
Q: Would you recommend HIFF to a friend or family member? If so, why?
A: I would, without a doubt, recommend HIFF to friends, family members, peers, and even strangers on the street because like I mentioned before, it’s just a great learning experience to learn about a culture that’s different from your own.
Q: Any other recommendations or insights you would like to share?
A: THANKS HIFF!
To read about more reviews, stories and experiences from other HPU students, click here >> HIFF
Click on the image below to check out their official website: