Project Letter 2023

Project Synopsis: 

Project Letter (2023) is a heartfelt and introspective mini-documentary following a group of graduating college students who revisit and respond to the letters they wrote back in their freshman year, dedicated to their future selves. The letters become windows to the students’ past selves—providing a glimpse into the uniqueness of each journey and challenges toward personal growth and discovery. 

Change can serve as a frightening concept to many, yet it is one to be embraced and celebrated. Project Letter (2023) pays homage to the person we used to be, are, and are becoming. Albeit our lives are different, we undergo comparable emotions, experiences, and transformations.

Director’s Statement | Intention/s about the project: 

Letters paint a certain time in our lives, and it’s fascinating how they become an intimate representation of a certain version of ourselves. Revisiting the letter I wrote back in 2019, four years later, evoked many emotions and provided a healing experience I didn’t know I needed. I found myself bawling my eyes out at a letter 18-year-old self wrote. It served as a memory of how younger Jae was full of uncertainty about the future–one of those uncertainties was even staying in Ateneo. I  admit that I’m still, if not more, anxious about what lies ahead; yet it’s in Ateneo that I realized it’s okay– it’s okay to feel lost, overwhelmed, unsure, and most of all, to not have everything figured out. The more I became honest with myself, the more I found myself in the right places, surrounded by the right people, and showered with a beautiful amount of love. 

It’s not a lie when they say that the four years of college will go by so quickly. Being a young adult in this quick-paced society makes you forget to slow down, breathe, and actually see how far you’ve come. It’s so easy, and painful, to be caught up in the various pressures of life. While we cannot deny the fact that we need to keep going, the process to reach where we want to be involves taking a step back too.

I wanted to film this mini-documentary to provide an avenue for the graduating members of Ateneo to reconnect with their younger selves. I wanted to provide them a space to slow down, breathe, and give themselves credit for the person they have grown into. Moreso, I wanted to hear from my batch mates, many of whom I did not get to meet due to the pandemic. There is always at least a thing or two we can pick up from every person we meet–deepening our understanding and appreciation for life. Lastly, I wanted to highlight how interconnected our lives can actually be. While we all experience life differently, we share similar emotions, experiences, and transformations; and I can only hope this may provide solace that we are not alone in going through all of life’s uncertainties.  

To be loved is to be changed. So thank you, Ateneo, for loving every one of us. Your love has taught us to be brave, to be bolder, to grow, and to become true to ourselves. I hope your love reaches more and more people every day. 

This mini-documentary is for the following: 

• For Ateneo. Thank you for the opportunity to study at your institution. Thank you for teaching us students to dream bigger every day. Thank you for providing a secure and comfortable space to learn and fail. Thank you for being home.  

• For my batch mates. Our college experience is quite unique, yet I hope we were able to grow and become the persons we want to be throughout our stay. 

• For the undergraduates. Four years will go by quickly, so amidst all the external and internal pressures, I hope you take your time to be more present throughout college. Take the time to unlearn, learn, and relearn many things. 

• For my mentors. Thank you for the unwavering support and guidance—for giving this ambitious girl a chance to fulfill her dreams, and of others as well.

• For the Ateneo staff. Thank you for making Ateneo a safe and beautiful space for every student. 

• For those who are lost, confused, and frightened. It’ll be okay. Take your time, and take all the love that surrounds you.

• Lastly, for my family. Thank you for allowing me to navigate my place in this world. 

CREDITS LIST

In partnership with EUGENIO LOPEZ JR. CENTER FOR MULTIMEDIA COMMUNICATION

Producer Aaron Vicencio

Director JAENNINA

Scriptwriters JAENNINA, Clarice Agatep, Deivid Encarnacion

Director of Photography JAENNINA

Camera Operators Jemuel Dagu-ob, Vanessa Leonardo, Kenneth Villaret, JAENNINA

Production Designer Sofia Tan

Production Design Assist Christian Tiu

Production Managers Nicole Capino, Clarice Agatep

Production Assistants Dominique Placer, Cedric Chua-Lim

Unit Photographers Paulina Singh, Rance Dizon, Angela Manalastas

Offline Editors JAENNINA, Rafael Cabrera, Alyssa Santos

Scorer Deivid Encarnacion

Colorist Robi Kang

Special thanks to Pau Percil & Matec Villanueva of UMCO, Christian Valderama & Karlo Montenegro of the Department of Communication, Aaron Vicencio, Bernard Dacanay, John Torres, Gio Puyat, Dr. Maria Luz Vilches, Dr. Czarina Saloma-Akpedonu, Fr. Jose Ramon “Jett” Villarin, and Fr. Roberto “Bobby” Yap.