By: Sharmaine Joyce Alilin and Kamille Pangantihon
Passion is something that you love doing. It is liking what you do and liking how you do it. It differentiates between work and career. Working hard for something that does not interest you and working for something that you love are two different things. Passion, for Gualbertsan Dela Torre Sual, turned out to be something that pushed him closer to his dreams in life.
Gualbertsan or “Albert” is a student of Multimedia Arts with a specialization in Filmmaking at Asia Pacific College. He is a photojournalist for the RAMpage which is the official newsletter of APC. He is a freelance graphic designer, photographer, and former intern at Informatics Computer Institute. In 2018, he was part of RESBAK-filmmakers of the University of the Philippines in one of their events. He also graduated with honors and a leadership award. He has a diploma in Multimedia Arts & Technology from Informatics International College. He has worked over a dozen film collections throughout his career and directed several short films at Asia Pacific College just like “Kwaderno,” a film about Education, which was shown during the Merge 2019 at SM Mall of Asia. He has conducted three art seminars for the youth in 2017.
Before becoming a student of APC, Gualbertsan previously worked as a call center agent during the first half of 2017. He was employed in a well-known company and was earning well. However, it was also during this time when he felt so much dullness and dissatisfaction in his life. “I wasn’t given a chance to live with what I felt I deserved; I was stuck in the monotony of routine, unable to extricate myself from that situation,” he said in an interview. Gualbertsan, being creative at heart, took a bold step to pursue his artistic endeavors and decided to continue his education at APC to specialize in filmmaking.
Since 2012, he has been certain about what he aspires to do in life–that is to create films and become a great filmmaker. The Filipino screenwriter and director, Raz Dela Torre, played a huge influence on how he developed his dream. For Gualbertsan, filmmaking is not just another profession. He sees it as a form of self-expression, a medium for communication, and simply as an enjoyable pursuit. The bizarreness of his surroundings fires up his imagination and supplies him with excitement. He hankers to translate these ideas and zeal into a form of art, particularly into a film.
He is fond of creating short clips about what he feels. He uses his own emotions in relaying the message that he wants to tell. One of his works was about the sentiments of a desperate man who was left all alone by the person whom he needed the most – not his lover nor his mother, but his thesis partner. It was a quirky and creative mimicry of a typical student’s struggle and is relatable to those who always carry the burdens of every group work. The clip was posted on his Facebook account and has garnered laughs and praises from people online.
Apart from creating short clips as a way to express his sentiments, he also directs films which aim to communicate stories of significance. One of his recent works, Kwaderno, is a tale of an imaginative child who isn’t fortunate enough to attend school yet strives to find a way to learn. The film advocates the right of every child to have access to education regardless of their social status. He wants his films to inspire and inform viewers about the prevalent issues in society that are often being talked about. Last July 2019, he was invited to showcase this film during the State of the Youth Address 2019 of the Southern Tagalog Youth Parliament. It was held at the University of the Philippines Los Banos – College of Arts and Sciences (UPLB-CAS) auditorium where he was also the guest speaker. He talked about human rights and the importance of education along with other distinguished personalities, namely Sarah Elago, Bryan Ezon Gonzales, and Samira Gutoc.
He found his passion for weaving stories that are inspired by his circumstances, relationships, and the people around him. “I vent my feelings out through film and tell myself that everything will be alright,” he said. He finds peace and comfort whenever he expresses himself through his chosen craft. Truly, it is important to find an avenue to share and express oneself. For Gualbertsan, he found his outlet through the art of filmmaking; in crafting stories, capturing people’s emotions, and captivating the souls of his audience.
The story of this talented young man vividly reflects the values of courage and determination. Gualbertsan braved to follow and continue his long-time dream and persevered to slowly build a name for himself. He was asked this question: “What does it feel like to become a filmmaker?” He said, “It feels as if I can do whatever I want.” Following the trail of his passion allowed him to feel limitless and attain a sense of fulfillment. Indeed, nothing is more rewarding than going after what your heart desires while connecting to the hearts of others at the same time.
