Calungsod biopic hopes to inspire youth

CEBU, Philippines - A religion-themed entry in the annual December festival of films? Unheard of until this year, when the independently-produced biopic “Pedro Calungsod, Batang Martir” managed to land a slot as an official entry to the 39th Metro Manila Film Festival.

Going up against predictable commercial fare bankrolled by film studio giants admittedly has its writer-director Francis Villacorta and his entire production nervous with the fate of their labor of love. But beyond the goal of recouping investments or reaping honors, the people behind the historical drama hope to increase awareness on the life of the young Visayan saint who was martyred in the name of the Christian faith.

Villacorta, a theater director and a History-Political Science graduate of De La Salle University, said, “Young people today can learn a lot from the heroic life of San Pedro Calungsod. Ordinary as he was, being a young catechist and mission assistant, the dedication to his work and his devotion to God is all too inspiring.”

“His longing for his biological father back home in the Visayas will eventually be overcome by his longing for Jesus Christ. What a fascinating study of a young life all too willingly given up for the love of our Savior. Because in the end, I believe, our lives on earth are all a preparation for our reunion with Him, our Creator.”

But the film won’t be just about San Pedro Calungsod’s martyrdom as it will also be about the role he played in the San Diego Mission to the Marianas Islands in Guam led by Fr. Diego de San Vitores  between 1668 and 1672. It will show what virtues he practiced to serve the propagation of Christianity at a time of paganism, doubt and disbelief.

How this young soldier of Jesus Christ fought for the conversion of the Chamorro natives to Christianity and his unquestionable obedience and loyalty to the Mission Superior is at the heart of the forthcoming film, the result of two years of research by Villacorta.

“The fact that little is really known about the young Filipino martyr makes this cinematic mission our very own journey into discovering Pedro,” Villacorta added. For authencity, Villacorta script has Visayan, Spanish, and native Chamorro dialogue.

Pedro Calungsod, a young Filipino man, leaves his Visayan native roots to join the Spanish Jesuit priest Father Diego de San Vitores in his mission to the Marianas Islands (Guam) in 1668.

The San Diego Mission arrives in the Marianas where the young Pedro, a trained catechist and mission assistant, begins work for Fr. Diego de San Vitores in baptizing the Chamorro natives, preaching the holy gospel and spreading the good news of salvation through the Christian faith amidst paganism, doubt and disbelief.

Despite the longing for his father and the threats to their lives, even at the peril of death, Pedro and Fr. Diego continued their missionary work. They roamed the dangerous islands and baptized many more natives and continued to enlighten them about Christianity.

Calungsod was beatified by Blessed John Paul II in 2000. In October 2012, he became the second Filipino to be declared a saint by the Roman Catholic Church after San Lorenzo Ruiz.

“Pedro Calungsod, Batang Martir,” produced by HPI Synergy Group headed by Ida Tiongson, in association with Wings Entertainment, is slated for a nationwide theatrical release on December 2013.

The film stars Rocco Nacino, Christian Vazquez, Jestoni Alarcon, Ryan Eigenmann, Robert Correa, Alvin Aragon, Victor Basa, Carlo Gonzalez, Arthur Solinap, Miko Palanca, Andrew Schimmer, Geoff Taylor, Johan Santos, Isadora Valasquez, BJ Forbes, Juancho Triviño, Johnron Tañada, and Mercedes Cabral.

The cast and crew purposefully flew to Cebu last weekend to shoot some scenes in the town of Dalaguete, southern part of the province, and to promote their film early to Cebuanos.

Vasquez, who plays Father Diego Luis de San Vitores, shared of his character which was first offered to him some two years ago: “He plays a very important role in Calungsod’s life because he sort of stood as the boy’s father figure. He was also responsible for touching Calungsod’s heart, so that he will understand the real meaning of God’s words.”

“I did research on Fr. Diego’s life, such as how he became a Jesuit priest. This is the first time that I’m portraying a non-fictional character, so I have to flesh him out in a way that viewers will be able to say he is a real human being and not just a made-up character. I want him to be relatable and not some sort of superhero that’s unreachable. That’s actually a challenge for all of us in the cast, that the viewer will see the heart behind our characters,” added Christian.

Preparing for the part of the priest gave Christian quite a few spiritual realizations, he revealed. “He came from a noble and well-connected family, and his parents wanted him to be an officer in the Spanish army. But he chose to serve the Lord. For someone coming from a well-off family, yet chose a life of hardship and sacrifice — that makes him very special. Our generation now is far different from the lives they led before. Fr. Diego and Calungsod were human beings like us, yet they were able to sacrifice their lives for the Lord. On the other hand, we are only asked one hour of one day each week to go to Church, yet that we even fail to do.”

Meanwhile, the film’s lead actor, Rocco, explained why moviegoers should include the biopic in their MMFF must-watch list. “Aside from it being one of the options to watch during the festival, it is something different. Not that we’re being competitive with the other entries, and let me say that this year’s line-up is pretty interesting. I’m confident that we are offering something different from the usual festival genres.” (FREEMAN)