Michael David dela Cruz Tan, MDC

A graduate of Bachelor of Arts (Communication Studies) of the University of Newcastle in New South Wales, Australia (just don't ask when, he says), and Master of Development Communication from the University of the Philippines-Open University, Mick is a self-described all-around whatever. He can: photograph, do artworks with mixed media, write (of course), shoot flicks, community-organize, facilitate, lecture, research (with pioneering studies under his belt)... this one's a multi-tasker, who is even conversant in Filipino Sign Language. Cross his path is the dare (read: It won't be boring).

REVIEWS

Staging the overdramatic Pinoy via PETA’s ‘One More Chance: The Musical’

Brace yourself, “One More Chance” is now a musical, thanks to the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA). Is it good? We check!

Michael David dela Cruz Tan, MDCSeptember 9, 2024

FLICKS

Co-opting the OFW story via ‘We Don’t Dance for Nothing’?

This is a story of overseas Filipino workers (OFW) told by a "Chinese–Greek American director raised by dancers in New York" (using the words...

Michael David dela Cruz Tan, MDCAugust 14, 2022

FLICKS

That shaky attempt to tackle abortion via ’12 Weeks’

As its attempt to tell a story about abortion in the Philippine context, Anna Isabelle Matutina's "12 Weeks" is, in a word, shaky. Lemme...

Michael David dela Cruz Tan, MDCAugust 13, 2022

FLICKS

Family dynamics highlighted via ‘Quing Lalam Ning Aldo’

"Quing Lalam Ning Aldo (Under the Sun)" - by Reeden Fajardo - tells the story of an LGBT parent who runs a sampaguita farm,...

Michael David dela Cruz Tan, MDCAugust 12, 2020

FLICKS

Fantastical tale from the North about the ‘civilized’ versus the ‘barbarians’ in ‘Tokwifi’

"Tokwifi" is a fantastical Igorot tale from Carla Pulido Ocampo. Think "Pleasantville"… and you're almost there.

Michael David dela Cruz Tan, MDCAugust 11, 2020

FilmMakers

First-person game-inspired self-help flick that is ‘Fatigued’

"Fatigued" - by James Robin M. Mayo - is a short flick that uses… shall we say, the approach of shoot-to-kill POV games for...

Michael David dela Cruz Tan, MDCAugust 11, 2020

FilmMakers

Beautifully-shot if somewhat passion-light ‘Pabasa Kan Pasyon’

It may be light on "passion", but "Pabasa Kan Pasyon" - a movie less than 15 minutes long from Hubert Tibi - is beautiful...

Michael David dela Cruz Tan, MDCAugust 11, 2020

FLICKS

Half-baked worthy story of ‘Ang Gasgas na Plaka ni Lolo Bert’

"Ang Gasgas na Plaka ni Lolo Bert" by directors Janina Gacosta and Cheska Marfori tells a simple enough story (at least on the surface)...

Michael David dela Cruz Tan, MDCAugust 11, 2020

FLICKS

John Denver Trending: This is what indie is all about

Overall, if you can afford to pay for shitty Vice Ganda or Vic Sotto films (or most of the Metro Manila Film Festival entries,...

Michael David dela Cruz Tan, MDCAugust 9, 2019

FLICKS

Children of the River: Propaganda pretending to be coming-of-age flick

How wars/conflicts affect the lives of children isn’t rare in cinema. And beyond the coming-of-age narratives, Children of the River is really supposed to...

Michael David dela Cruz Tan, MDCAugust 9, 2019