What an astounding honor for the Philippine cinema! “Kun Maupay Man It Panahon,” the Yolanda-set film starring Charo Santos-Concio and Daniel Padilla, will make its world premiere at the prestigious Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland (from Aug 4 to 14) as a competing entry. This is the first feature film of Director Carlo Francisco Manatad, with the international title “Whether the Weather is Fine”, the sole Philippine film selected to compete in the Filmakers of the Present section which highlights works of emerging directors from around the globe. It will bestow the traditional Pardo d’oro and award for directing as well as prizes for Best Actor and Best Actress.
“It took 6 years for this story to finally reach its fruition. And what a ride it has been. From a call one evening (from the director) with a plea for help to reach Tacloban and search for his family, to finding the funds to actually make his story into a film, to searching for the right actors to portray the characters and who were willing to make time to do the film, to looking for the right locations that would match his story, to traveling for days with his team of more than a hundred, to surviving all the days of shoot with all kinds of difficulties which ironically, was usually the weather, providing insurmountable odds at times,” Atty Joji Villanueva Alonso, who is at the helm of production, said. Yes, the movie is in Waray dialect.
We asked the director what really inspired him to venture into this project.
Carlo Francisco Manatad: As cliche as it may sound, this is my love song to my hometown. The tragedy that hit Tacloban really struck me (I myself experienced this tragic event). It tells the story of a mother (Charo Santos-Concio) and her son (Daniel Padilla) as they struggle for survival and deal with the absurdity of fate, sustained by the hope that they carry, and what is lost and gained.
Joji Alonso: Yes, this is a personal account of Carlo. There were no flights then during the surge and aftermath of Yolanda but I was able to seek assistance using a military plane for Carlo. And what did he experience? There wasn’t a meter that he walked on without seeing dead people everywhere…
We asked Carlo to define Charo’s performance.
Carlo: She is amazing. For such a person who has done tons of films and has achieved the mileage she has now, she shows that she is not afraid to push her limits and learn (from the whole experience and from the people surrounding her). There are scenes where I am just in awe on how she interprets and performs. I will always be a fan.
And Daniel?
Carlo: This is his first non-commercial film. I thought he would have hesitations and reservations regarding the material but he gave it his all. And knowing that he spoke the waray waray dialect, it made filming a lot easier since he truly understood the language and the culture presented in the film.
Atty Joji told me that the production cost went over the roof – did Carlo anticipate that?
Carlo: I only know that the film would be expensive for a first feature project. Just because everything we had to setup from scratch.
Joji: The toughest part is reconstructing scenes ravaged by storms. We had to create and build a home setting for Charo and Daniel, that alone cost us four million pesos – only to be destroyed for realistic purposes…
How were they able to raise more funds for the movie?
Carlo: The film didn’t have the usual route as opposed to other filipino films (either funded by a commercial production company or got a grant from a local film festival). The film took long to finance because we had to try and see if the international funding route would work. We had rejections here and there but also got a few good grants from outside the country. Thankfully towards nearing the shoot – local production companies expressed interest and eventually collaborated making this project a reality.
The film is a joint production of iWant, Quantum Films, ABS-CBN Black Sheep, Dreamscape Entertainment, Globe Studios, together with Cinematografica, Plan C, House on Fire (France), AAND (Singapore), and KawanKawan (Indonesia).
It was developed at the La Fabrique des Cinema du Monde (Cannes), TorinoFilmLab Europe and Semaine dela Critique’s Next Step (France) and is supported by the TorinoFilmLab Co-Production Award (Creative Europe), Aide Aux Cinema du Monde of CNC and Institut Francais (France), Film Development Council of the Philippines, and the World Cinema Fund (Germany).
More on this next issue, promise.
And now the recent Saturday Buzz at Republika RestoBar N Grill: Sani Baluyot hosted a yummy gabfest to celebrate the preem nite of THE DESIGN PROPOSAL, his new show at TFC Canada (Saturdays 5:00 pm). Yummy means delish grilled choice cuts, top-of-the best streetfood, delish noodles, preceded by mouth-watering appetizers and unli-bottomless chilled fresh juices of melon, pineapple, etc. Business is the main gabfest dish, talks of Mega World and Sani teaming up with other community leaders. But of course, ABS-CBN/TFC’s topnotch leader Rosary Escano was at our table shared by PIDC Pres Ramon Estaris and Bernie Pendon, Regional Admin Officer of MegaWorld, Balita publisher Tess Cusipag among others. Happy to spot well-loved business executive Agnes Miranda who’s back on her feet and raring to go.
What is Sani’s next move after this?
Sani: Surprise! I intend to get involved with more tv productions of Filipino-Canadians who are motivated to showcase their talents.
Bumped into Dexter Doria while on FB and we had a good chat. Remember that Dexter won in 2017 as Best Actress in PAKI at the Cinema One Originals Film Festival. She played the 69-yr old Alejandra who decides to separate from her philandering husband of five decades.
Dexter: PAKI is my favorite film! I was not the first choice – they offered it to Nova and Laurice but they were not available, it landed on my lap! What a blessing.
If she were to produce a film, what are her preferences?
Dexter: No romances please, I want to do something different. Maybe a mystery thriller. A suspenseful crime story? Let’s just say it should be totally new to the viewers and universally interesting.
We always get questions about Marianne de la Riva – like where she is now and why they don’t see her on you tube where most stars air their current events. We were close to Ianne during the mid-70s towards the early 80s and she’s such a nice lady and a good friend. She is now in New York, retired and happily married to a physician.
We had this one-on-one.
Do you miss acting on movies and tv? If offered the right project, will you do it?
Marianne: My showbiz experience was mostly good and i’m grateful for it. I’ve learned a lot from it and met some good friends along the way through the years but i think it’s time for me to retire ….
How is life in US? Do you like it better than Pinas?
Marianne: Can’t say it’s better here in the U.S. or better in Pinas. Let’s just say I’ve already adjusted to the lifestyle here so i’m fine with living here. This is where my husband and my children are so this is also where i choose to be. I am now a grandma. My daughters are married now. The eldest, Louie, has two boys, Aldan and Collin, aged 18 and 14. My second daughter Fenella has two girls, Jillian who is 10 and Jamie, 5.
Seeing the photos of Ianne, I can say she is doing well. As we write, they are vacationing in Florida.
Marianne: I love being around my children and grandchildren. I’m very family- oriented and they motivate me in many ways. My husband and I spend a lot of time with them.
What is trending on Netflix? MY AMANDA is a runaway winner. It quickly became No. 1 after a week. And what is My Amanda? Am certain you know by now. To me it’s “unromantically romantic.” Very light just like a cool breeze on a warm summer night, it knocks on our hearts as it closes up on friendship. The beauty of platonic ties between a man and a woman – how could Piolo Pascual and Alessandra de Rossi be extremely tight (sharing a bed, cozily hugging) without crossing the borders and make it a full-blown romance? You have to watch it.
Produced by Piolo’s Spring Films, My Amanda shows de Rossi successfully shifting three hats: as an actress, scriptwriter and director.
I so love the theme song of this film, Chaka Khan’s Through the Fire. I fell in love with this David Foster’s melody in 1984 when I was still in Manila. Hearing it for the first time, I had called Nora Aunor (I always suggested songs for her weekly tv show SUPERSTAR.)
“Guy, please please, sing this for Superstar!” I had begged her then and she reacted with, “Maganda nga, you chose a perfect one! Magaling pala si Chaka pag nagballad. Kelangan nasa show ka, promise mo.” And I did show up to watch her perform it live.
Let’s go back to the Gloria-Juancho era, I could not help recalling when I saw a classic photo on Instagram so I messengered their only child Maritess Gutierrez.
Gloria Romero met Juancho Gutierrez when she was the reigning queen of Sampaguita Pictures. Juancho was a neophyte – he and Amlia Fuentes were then starting to be Mr. and. Number One.
Maritess: My mom was shooting in Sampaguita when my dad arrived in a car, wearing a pink shirt and white pants. Mom asked, ‘Sino ‘yan?”.
It was love at first sight for Gloria as she gushed in admiration, “Ang guwapo!!! Yan ang magiging asawa ko.”
Juancho and Gloria were married in September 24,1960 but separated 12 years later. While separated, Juancho stayed with his sister in Mandaluyong. Juancho suffered a diabetic stroke that left him paralyzed in 2000.
Maritess: That’s when I asked Mom, “Let’s get Daddy.”
They were reunited as family.
Maritess: “That’s when I became close to my Dad.”
Juancho was 73-years-old when he died in October of 2005.
See you in 2 weeks, TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) is almost here.