What happens when traditional religious beliefs collide with reality? Students from the University of the Philippines explore this topic in the documentary “Pasan,” which details the experiences of Roger Marcos, a devout Catholic and gay man who is both revered and shunned by his community as he portrays Jesus Christ in the Lenten tradition.

“Pasan,” which recently won the top prize in ABS-CBN’s “Class Project Intercollegiate Mini-Documentary Competition,” airs on Friday (April 5) at 7:30 pm as the first featured student documentary in Knowledge Channel’s “Class Project Winners’ Festival.”

The film follows Roger as he relives the carrying of the cross, scourging and beatings, and crucifixion, which are part of the Lenten tradition of reenacting the biblical Passion of Christ alive and thriving in many parts of the Philippines. It is a family tradition he inherited from his uncle, and while the physical pain is unimaginable to some, he notes that it’s nothing compared to the pain he and his family experienced when they were evicted from their home. Produced by UP Mass Communication students Danielle Evangelista and Danielle Tolentinto, “Pasan” exposes the conflicts of traditional beliefs and modern practices as experienced by Roger, who also faces questions on whether he is fit to play Jesus Christ because of his sexual orientation.

The film will air back to back this Friday with second-placer “Silang Walang Daan” by Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU) Laguna, which delves into the plight of residents in Tiniguiban, a remote town in Calauag, Quezon, who have to traverse two kilometers of undeveloped, muddy, and rocky road just to have access to town. These will also be streamed online via ABS-CBN’s streaming service iWant along with other finalists in the contest organized by ABS-CBN with Knowledge Channel, and the Philippine Association of Communication Educators (PACE).

The yearly “Class Project” documentary competition is part of ABS-CBN’s thrust to support future media practitioners by giving students a chance to hone their filmmaking skills and have their documentaries showcased to a wider audience. To promote the competition and help students produce their documentaries, ABS-CBN also held a “Docu Caravan” that visited the University of Santo Tomas, Far Eastern University, and the Holy Angel University in Pampanga, where acclaimed journalists like Korina Sanchez and Jeff Canoy, and the ABS-CBN DocuCentral team shared their knowledge and experiences with the students.

The ten finalists were awarded recently in ABS-CBN’s “Pinoy Media Congress Year 13” at the College of the Holy Spirit Manila (CHSM). Joining champion UP Diliman and LPU-Laguna in the Top Ten were third placer “Labay Ku” by Far Eastern University, and the rest of the finalists “Pangarap na Pag-Ahon” by LPU-Laguna, “Ukit” by University of Santo Tomas, “KakaiBata” by University of Makati, “Habag” by University of Saint Louis-Baguio, “Tribu sa Syudad” by University of Batangas, “Parangalan Letran” by Colegio de San Juan de Letran, and “Daluyong ng Sigwa” by University of Santo Tomas. The first place winners went home with P 30,000, second place with P 20,000, third with P 10,000, and the rest with P 5,000 each.

Don’t miss Knowledge Channel’s “Class Project Winners Festival” featuring the ten finalists of the “Class Project Intercollegiate Mini-Documentary Competition” starting Friday (April 5) at 7:30 pm, channel 5 on ABS-CBN TVplus, SKYcable, and SKYdirect; and on iWant.ph.