All set for Marawi film

MANILA, Philippines — It’s all systems go for the film on Marawi.  

Film director and producer Joyce Bernal confirmed it’s the new big-screen project that Spring Films (her film production outfit with actor Piolo Pascual) has taken on after Meet Me in St. Gallen, which rolled into cinemas last week, and the 2017 Kita Kita, the highest-grossing indie film to date.

Obviously, it’s a departure from the romantic dramedy themes of their last two releases. But the film on Marawi City, which suffered unimaginable loss and damage after a five-month-long siege by IS-linked militants last year, is the story that direk Joyce and company “needed to tell.”

In a previous STAR interview, Robin Padilla revealed that seed money to make the film came from a donor, who offered to donate to Tindig Marawi, a “movement” the actor started to consolidate aid from friends and colleagues for the rehabilitation and recovery of the capital of Lanao del Sur and its people.

He suggested to the benefactor to invest the amount in a film so that more people will be aware about the situation of Marawi. At the same time, it will create earnings for Tindig Marawi projects. 

The action star, who has become a Mindanao peace advocate, approached Joyce and Piolo for the film not only because they were among the first in showbiz to support his Tindig Marawi efforts, but also because he was impressed by their derring-do and success as independent producers. The low-budget Kita Kita, for one, struck box-office gold by grossing over P300M.

Direk Joyce, on the other hand, said that they’re done with the treatment, with the making of the full script happening this week to be followed by auditions. 

“May mga gusto kami na artista so ibibigay na siguro namin yung script and character. Ilalako namin sa mga artista pero i-open pa rin namin for auditions. (We will be offering roles to actors but still open them for auditions),” said direk Joyce on the sidelines of the FDCP Film Ambassadors Night last Feb. 9, wherein Kita Kita was given the Camera Obscura artistic excellence award.

For the lead roles though, she said that they are eyeing young stars Daniel Padilla, Carlo Aquino and JM de Guzman.  

Supporting Robin Padilla’s Tindig Marawi efforts

Piolo and Robin will not appear as leads but essay important parts just the same because “there are no small roles in the film,” added Joyce. 

They also got Mindanaoan filmmaker Sheron Dayoc to direct the film. Sheron megged Women of the Weeping River (2016) which won Best Film at Qcinema IFF, Young Critics and the 2017 Gawad Urian; and debuted via Halaw (Ways of the Sea) which won Best Film and Director, among others, at the 2010 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival.

Direk Joyce said it was a conscious decision to tap creative talent from Mindanao for the movie, including its writers and researchers.

She explained, “Wala kaming alam honestly. Gusto namin taga-Mindanao talaga ang mag-present ng kanilang kwento.”

When told that their film comes across as difficult if not ambitious to undertake, Joyce said, “Actually ang pinaka-pressure namin is siguro yung for the people of Marawi and for Mindanao. Hopefully, we won’t disappoint them... We want to make a film about them so we hope it will be appreciated by them and make them say, ‘That’s our story.’”

To know more about the Marawi story, she and Piolo, plus other friends from the industry, traveled to the Islamic City last month.

Direk Joyce on Marawi film: We hope it will be appreciated by the people of Marawi and make them say, ‘That’s our story.’ —Photos from Robin Padilla’s Instagram

Robin had been prodding them to go to Marawi but “we weren’t able to have the opportunity (right away) because of security (concerns).”

Their first-ever trip was hastily arranged and unplanned and when they went there, she said they were educated by Robin about his fellow Muslims and about Mindanao. 

According to Joyce, they went to the war-torn city’s ground zero. She recalled that even their Mindanaoan researchers still couldn’t believe what they saw and were moved to tears upon seeing the devastation.

“When we went there, we were shocked. Durog yung Marawi eh, durog na durog. Alam mo yung bahay mo na dinurog ng bala, so parang paano yun? I can just imagine the feelings of the families living in these homes,” she related.

They then looked for those who used to live in ground zero in the evacuation areas. “Gusto namin sabihin sa kanila na we’re doing something for you. We want to tell them, ‘We are with you, we are thinking of you and we are doing something for you.’ We really have to do this film for them.”