SENIOR MOMENT ] Senior Year director Jerrold Tarog on his own 4th year high--and lows

Daniel Medrana and Ramon Bautista in a scene from Senior Year.

The third feature film from the director Jerrold Tarog, Senior Year, is out on SM cinemas today, and our friends who have seen it has called the work “superb” (Raymond Lee), “touching and funny” (Mario Cornejo), and “a heartfelt portrait of our inevitable ordinariness in the midst of a world that is far bigger than any high school campus” (Oggs Cruz). In this youth-oriented flick about the last colorful months of high school, Tarog leaves behind the serious motifs of his first two films—Confessional, the mock documentary about a videographer whose camera becomes witness to a wayward politician’s confessions, and Mangatyanan, about a photographer escaping the reality of her lensman father’s sexual abuse—to tell the interwoven tales of young love, self-exploration and peer pressure among a bunch of senior students from the fictitious St. Frederick’s High School.

We spoke to Jerrold, writer, director, musical scorer and editor of Senior Year, to try and spark a little confessional about teachers, that high school souvenir and, of course, high school love.

Saan ka nag-high school?
UP Rural High School in Los Baños, Laguna. I was a batch younger than Ebe Dancel of Sugarfree.

May favorite subject ka ba?
I loved the extracurriculars and nothing else. We had a music club back then and I was part of a band. Everything was cool and fun and dramatic. Loved it.

Favorite teacher?
I didn't have one favorite teacher in particular because I found all of them interesting in their own little ways. Yung mga weird teachers, mga inapi namin (yes, kami yung nang-aapi), teachers who did their best to inspire, teachers who inspired us to sleep.

Ano’ng pinaka hindi mo malilimutan sa panahong ‘yon?
Hmm...that I hated CAT with a passion? That I didn't know what to do with girls who had crushes on me and that I had so many awkward moments with them?


Jerrold Tarog declined to share his own photograph from high school, but here he is as he appeared on this blog.

Any souvenirs?
A small stuffed toy in the form of a cute devil. He was named Bogart for some reason. It was what led me to my first girlfriend.

In which character can we find you in Senior Year?
I have a soft spot for Henry (the valedictorian) and Bunda (the tall, quiet girl). Of course, I was miles away from being the valedictorian. It's just that I could relate to his nerdiness. Bunda, for her internal strife and composure.

Nalungkot ka ba no’ng graduation?
I don't remember anymore. I might've been relieved because all the drama was finally over (but, of course, college had even worse drama). I was probably scared and excited too because I didn't know what I was going to do in college. This was before I shifted to Music in UP.

Tell us about your high school love, how it began and how it ended.
Met my first girlfriend in 3rd year high school, I think. We lasted around three years or maybe four, basta well into college. I was playing the drums for the cheering squad during 3rd year Intrams when she walked over and picked up Bogart (who was sitting on top of the bass drum). I said something, she said something, at doon nagsimula. It ended when she fell in love with a guy who was so opposite of who I was in college. Buti na lang because they're good together and they're obviously happy. In fact, they ended up marrying each other. I wish them all the best. As for me...I'm still looking. Or to be more exact, I'm still waiting.

Itals on "waiting," Jerrold's own. Here, a note from Jerrold the night before the film's commercial run.

Senior Year is showing at SM City Fairview Cinema 11, SM City Manila 7, SM City North Edsa Cinema 9, SM City Sta. Mesa Cinema 8, SM Mall of Asia Cinema 6, SM Megamall Cinema 7, SM Southmall Cinema 2.