Seventeen years ago, this reporter’s foray into journalism had kicked off with an unexpected curveball. The editor across the table didn’t expect a discussion on current affairs or social justice. Instead, the initiation hinged on a simple question, “What were the last two films you watched, and can you review them?” He wasn’t scouting for a film writer, and neither did I become one. For him, this seemingly whimsical examination was a litmus test of sense and sensibility, social observations and cultural understanding that became a silent judge of journalistic acumen.