AHEAD of its nationwide premiere, the team behind “EDJOP: The Movie” brought its story of Martial Law-era student activism to UST, urging young people to engage with the history of the dictatorship and their role in shaping society.
Director Katski Flores, producer Joyette Jopson and cast members Elijah Canlas and Simone “Kakie” Pangilinan met with Thomasians during “Edjop Campus Conversations: Veritas in Leadership” on Sept. 2 at the Thomas Aquinas Research Complex Auditorium.
The film traces the life of Edgar “Edjop” Jopson, a student activist during the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos Sr., from his college years and involvement in the First Quarter Storm to his killing in 1982.
Canlas portrays Jopson, while Pangilinan plays a young Joy Jopson, Edjop’s wife. The film was produced by Edjop’s daughter, Joyette.
Flores said the campus conversations were intended to engage young audiences directly with the film’s message and production rather than rely solely on conventional promotions such as trailers and social media materials.
“Pero, ‘yung heart talaga, ‘yung audience na tina-target namin, mga kabataan. Instead na mag-promote lang kami nu’ng nakikita n’yo na kami sa social media, magpalabas na kami ng trailer. Gusto namin ilapit ‘yung pelikula. At makipag-usap talaga sa kanila,” Flores told the Varsitarian.
(But at the heart of it, the audience we really want to reach is the youth. Instead of simply promoting the film on social media and releasing a trailer, we want to bring the film closer to them and actually have conversations with them.)
Joyette described the film as a “dream movie” that also became a process of discovery and healing after losing her father when she was three years old.
“I didn’t grow up looking up to him. But I guess part of why we did the film was, for me, and through the process, I got to know him,” she said.
For Canlas, portraying Edjop rekindled memories of his own involvement in student activism in high school. He said he had already been familiar with the activist before landing the lead role.
“Marami tayong nararamdaman, marami tayong gustong gawin, marami tayong gustong sabihin… bilang alagad ng sining, parang gusto mo gamitin ‘yung craft mo para may maiambag sa lipunan. Edjop just seemed like the perfect project for me,” Canlas said.
(We feel a lot, we want to do a lot, and we want to say a lot. As an artist, you want to use your craft to contribute something to society. Edjop just seemed like the perfect project for me.)
Pangilinan recalled first encountering Jopson’s story through “U.G.: An Underground Tale” by Benjamin Pimentel, a book given to her by her father, Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan.
She said the book strengthened her sense of nationalism and belief in the role of young people in bringing about change in a democracy.
“What was really important about Edjop as a figure to me was [that] he exemplified how long and cruel that era was and how important it is to be talked about and discussed,” Pangilinan said.
The UST Central Student Council organized the talkback session.
“EDJOP: The Movie” will premiere in cinemas nationwide on Sept. 16. Phoebe Elaine B. Pua
