Brain drain in reverse

It’s a case of brain drain in reverse. While other artists are settling abroad and bringing their talent overseas, director Lino Tañada has opted to stay put in the country after living for 15 years in the US.

The director of the digital film Hanggang Dito na Lamang at Maraming Salamat was doing well in the US. He was making well-attended shows, among them Hanggang Dito na Lamang, which he staged for Filipino communities in San Francisco in the mid-’80s. But money doesn’t make a happy man. So he packed his bags and went home to his beloved Quezon province.

He didn’t have to look back since. From a friend, Tañada discovered that the only remaining heir of the late Orlando Nadres, the man behind the Hanggang Dito na Lamang play, was a parish priest in Quezon. He alone owns the rights to the play. Contrary to what other producers reported, Fr. VG Nadres was not as elusive as a corrupt official running from the law. In fact, he readily talked to Tañada and gave his blessings for the digital film version of his talented uncle’s play.

Fr. Nadres wanted to perpetuate his revered ancestor’s name, which today’s MTV generation is unfamiliar with. But he won’t give his precious yes to just anybody. Like all responsible heirs, Fr. Nadres first made sure that somebody is worthy. And being worthy means staying true to the original version’s flavor and theme.

True enough, Tañada took pains to remain faithful to Nadres’ award-winning play. Never mind if it means reviving the era of snail mail and the languid lifestyle of the rural areas. Somehow, someway, he knows today’s generation of cellphone users will see past through the technology deficiency and look instead at the medium’s timeless message.

Never mind if Tañada refused to inject a sex scene the way one producer wanted to. The director knows he need not resort to such a crass commercial move just to spark interest in his film. So he found someone else to produce it. The guy, who wishes to stay anonymous, is a kindred spirit. A kababayan of Tañada, he gave the director the creative freedom in filming Hanggang Dito Na Lamang: The Movie.

With an investor in place, Tañada turned his attention to casting. He tapped Nonie Buencamino and Jon Santos for the two leads. Newcomer Jerwin Mercado, says Tanada, didn’t disappoint as the innocent provincial lad.

The award-winning Willy Cruz agreed to write the musical score for less than his regular fee.

Thus, Hanggang Dito na Lamang at Maraming Salamat: The Movie was born. It is included in the 2007 Cinemalaya alternative filmfest and will premiere tomorrow, July 22, 6 p.m. at the CCP Little Theater. Regular showing is on July 25 at Robinsons Galleria IndieSine.

The film, shot in bucolic Tayabas, Quezon, goes to it setting on Aug. 3, when it premieres at SM City Lucena. The film showing sponsored by the Office of the City Mayor, the Lucena Council for Culture and the Arts and SM City Lucena will be for the benefit of the Museo ng Lucena.

Tañada has no expectations for his comeback directorial bid except for the hope that “viewers will enjoy my work.” Awards and box-office returns are good, but they’re secondary. The psychic reward is more important.

Had he wanted to, Tañada could have made a fast buck by accepting offers to rush-rush jobs for TV networks when he returned to the country in 1995. But he wants nothing half-baked. His training at Hollywood’s Columbia College of Broadcasting where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree major in Film and Television Production, won’t allow him to. Wanting to go the extra mile, Tañada took up special studies in Film and TV Production and management at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA).

Tañada worked as film editor and later, as head of the post-production department in an independent film production house in Hollywood. His is a harvest of tele-movies, commercials, documentaries, AVPs, music videos, TV specials and others.

Had he been alive today, Nadres would have smiled, knowing that someone like Lino Tañada will bring his masterpiece to life for a new generation of moviegoers to enjoy.