Direk Jeffrey Jeturian returns to filmmaking in "Bisperas"

Award-winning director Jeffrey Jeturian, whose last released film was Kubrador (which won awards both here in the Philippines and in countless film festivals abroad), is finally making a return to filmmaking via the movie Bisperas, an entry in the Director’s Showcase category of the 2011 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival.

We had a chance to chat with Direk Jeffrey at the presscon of "Bisperas" held last July 1 at Katre Restaurant in Tomas Morato, Quezon City and he shares his thoughts about his newest film project.

What made you decide to join this year’s Cinemalaya?

"I believe in their objectives and in their goals. They had been inviting me to join since last year and they wanted me to submit a material. I really wanted to be a part of Cinemalaya but I can’t find a good script to my liking. When this material came along (Bisperas), I decided to submit it to Cinemalaya and they liked it," said Direk Jeffrey.

Were you the one who found this script?

"This was suggested to me by Armando Lao. Bisperas was a material done by one of his workshoppers in his scriptwriting workshops. He said I might want to direct it. When I read it, I found it okay. This is a story that focuses on a middle class family. Our indie movies seldom tackle stories involving middle income families. Most stories in indie movies tackle stories of the lower class families. Through this movie, we are showing the lifestyle of the typical middle class family.

The movie stars Tirso Cruz III, Raquel Villavicenco as the parents, with Jennifer Sevilla, Julia Clarete and Edgar Allan Guzman portraying their three children. "I love my cast. They are all very good actors. We made it a point to choose the cast carefully. I was very specific that my cast members should bear resemblance with each other para magmukhang pamilya talaga sila. That was one main consideration when we cast them here, said the director.

Bisperas aims to be different in the sense that it will portray an earnest image of the Filipino middle class as represented by the Aguinaldo family.

"It is a family that professes love and devotion for each other, yet harbors resentments and deep-seated feelings against one another. It is a family that prays and goes to mass together, yet commits acts of indiscretion once left on their own. It is a family that draws strength from each other yet drains one another. It is basically this contradictory and schizophrenic nature of the Filipino middle class family that I, as a director, want to bring to fore in this independent film."

"This is the story of a family na after attending the midnight mass ng Christmas eve, pagdating nila sa bahay, nakita nila ni-ransack ang bahay nila. Tapos dahil sa gulong nangyari, nagkaroon sila ng confrontation. Lumabas ang mga sama ng loob nila sa isa’t-isa, showing how un-Catholic they are, un-Christian they are as a family. Then after all the fighting that happened, they all went to church the next day, attend mass, received Holy Communion as if nothing happened. Parang ipinakita ang pagiging ipokrito ng mga Filipino when it comes to their religion and Catholic behavior," direk Jeffe relates.

Bisperas is deemed by many as the comeback film of Direk Jeffrey whose last film was the award-winning Gina Pareño starrer Kubrador. He says it is by choice that he shied sway from doing movies. "It took me this long to look for a material that I liked. I told myself that if ever I would do a film, it should be a project what I believe in, in what it says, so that it would excite me as well. Besides, I am careful with my filmography. I only do movies that I like to do," he said.

Direk Jeffrey’s movies were Sana Pag-Ibig Na, Pila-Balde, Tuhog, Bikini Open, Bridal Shower, Minsan Pa. He said he doesn’t want to do a movie that would blemish his sterling record. "Ayoko rin sirain ang record ko na may ginawa akong pelikula na parang nag-sell out ako," he added.

What message do you want to impart with this film?

"I want the audience to question their being Christians. Tapat ba silang Kristiyano or are they just pretending to be devout Catholics," said Direk Jeffey.

But he is not worried that he will have a problem with the church regarding the film’s message.

"Ay hindi naman, kasi hindi naman hard sell ang pag-pose namin ng question. Wala naman direct attack sa Catholic church. It just questions the Catholicism that we all follow," ended Direk Jeffrey.