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Film fest highlights Saipan coming together after Soudelor
Members of the community gathered at GrandVRio Resort to watch short films and documentaries that featured people’s experiences during Typhoon Soudelor. (Joan L. Taitano)
The Northern Marianas Humanities Council held its 2nd Annual Humanities Film Festival Tuesday night at GrandVrio Resort Saipan on the eve of the first anniversary of Typhoon Soudelor. This year’s theme is “Soudelor and the Winds of Change in the CNMI.”
The festival featured four student films, a narrative film, and a documentary film, which showed the different experiences of people during and after the Category 4 storm.
The student films include: “Blown Away” by Enhao Feng, Tianbo Zhang, and Beibei Chen; “Jerico & Casey Presents: Typhoon Soudelor The Documentary” by Jerico Montenejo and Casey Huliganga; “Saipan Strong” by Jobelle Tabuena and “Saipan and the Gales of Typhoon Soudelor” by Angela Felici M. Cruz.
In addition, the festival also showed a narrative film entitled “C.O.R.E. Heal Saipan” by Glen Hunter and a documentary film entitled “Soudelor. Saipan Strong.” By Sveta Hunter. The winner of the film festival will be announced this Saturday, Aug. 6, at “SOU’Fest” which will be held at the Garapan Fishing Base.
One message that tied up all these films is the essence of “community.” Saipan is unique because it’s a place where people have genuine affinity for one another.
The underlying theme of all the films is that during times of trouble, people exert effort, however little or big to ease the pain of others. (Joan L. Taitano)
