Direk Pepe after Venice

MANILA, Philippines - A month after he did the country proud when his film, Engkwentro won the Best Picture and the Lion of the Future — Luigi de Laurentiis Award for debut film in the 66th Venice International Film Festival, director Pepe Diokno is on his toes with another project.

The 22-year-old UP student is mapping out his next film, which will revolve around three children of war in Mindanao.

“I already got the initial outline,” he said during the dinner the CCP (Cultural Center of the Philippines) held in his honor. And he was floored.

But he has yet to iron out details of his yet-untitled follow-up film. For starters, Pepe is planning to go to Davao to do his research. He is still thinking of whether the film dialogue will be in Visayan or Tagalog.

All he knows, right now, is that he has learned of reports denying that children of war do exist, “in the same way that vigilante killings have been denied.”

This will not stop Pepe, grandson and namesake of the late Sen. Jose W. Diokno, from doing the film, though. The filmmaker is used to getting strong audience reactions to his work.

Engkwentro, which tells the story of two teenage brothers on the opposite sides of a gang war, deals on an issue that sparked an investigation from the United Nations and the Philippine Commission on Human Rights. Its exposé on alleged state-sponsored killings is controversial.

“We are trying to provoke discussion,” Pepe relates. “All reactions, whether good or bad, are welcome — for as long as it contributes to healthy debate.”

The filmmaker was not as unflappable when he won his award in Venice. After all, he and his team did not have the slightest idea of their upcoming victory when the filmfest director told them that afternoon of the awards rites that they were still needed in the evening, when the winners were announced.

“We never expected to win,” recalls Pepe. “Just to be part of one of the biggest festivals in the world was enough. If just one person appreciated our film that would have made us feel good already.”

So clueless were they of their upcoming triumph, Pepe admits they were expecting that the Orizzonti prize would go instead to Lebanon, a story about the Lebanon war (it bagged the Golden Lion).

“It was also a very brave film about a timely issue,” says Pepe.

Now that he’s faced with another timely issue — widespread calamity care of Ondoy, Pepe decided to do his share. He is donating proceeds from the premiere of Engkwentro on Wednesday, Oct. 21 at Market! Market! The Fort, to victims of typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng. The screening are presented by the Cinemanila International Film Festival.

Nursing a slight cold after he joined daily relief efforts in La Salle Greenhills, his high school alma mater, and at Jam 88.3, Pepe relates how the idea came about.

“I was at La Salle every day, 12 midnight to 6 a.m., for the relief efforts. Then, I had school in the morning,” he recalls. The Good Samaritan also went to Jam 88.3 to man an emergency broadcast for typhoon victims. Pepe announced updates on the typhoon and relayed the victims’ pleas for help.

That was when he thought of the benefit screening for typhoon victims.

Pepe will leave the country again next month, this time for Greece, where Engkwentro will open a special Filipino program at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival on Nov. 14.

Every year, the filmfest presents outstanding developments in independent cinema around the world through its Independence Days section. Greek curator Lefteris Amaderis says this edition toasts new Philippine cinema because its rise is “evident this year more than ever, with Brillante Mendoza’s directing award at Cannes and newcomer Pepe Diokno’s Engkwentro.”

Is Pepe open to directing a romantic film, say, from Star Cinema, or a telenovela?

“Yes, I am,” he replies. “You see, there shouldn’t be any division between indie and mainstream films.”

Pepe is glad such division, which he describes as part of a “feudal system,” is fading away. Kimidora, he explains, is proof of that.

The future of Philippine cinema is looking bright, not just for Pepe Diokno, but for those who love film with a passion the way he does.