MMFF 2022: Family Matters presents a contemporary family drama
MANILA, Philippines — A heartwarming, relatable and contemporary family drama is what director Nuel Naval and his creative team are gifting Filipinos this yuletide season. The film titled Family Matters, written by Mel Mendoza-del Rosario, hopes to remind all and sundry that family is that one constant in a person’s life and that time is truly fleeting. So, nothing and no one should be taken for granted.
“Galing din naman ako sa MMK (I had my directorial roots in the weekly drama anthology Maalaala Mo Kaya),” said Nuel about family drama as his forte and the genre he’s always excited to do in a recent phone interview with The STAR. “My core is really drama and doing yung mga totoong kwento (narrating real-life stories). Family Matters is very real. Actually, kaya siya nakakaiyak kasi totoo siya (that’s why it touches the heart). You will cry because the story is real.”
The director was also quick to add, “To be honest, the movie is not heavy drama. It also has light moments, parang typical family, in which (the members) have their own share of happy times. Sometimes, they fight over things and argue with one another. At the end of the day, they come together because they’re family.”
Family Matters revolves around the story of Francisco and Eleanor, a senior married couple, played by Noel Trinidad and Liza Lorena. Theirs will intersect with the personal narratives of their four children. “Lahat sila nag-contribute dun sa buong pelikula. All have their own moments,” said Nuel.
Although some might consider Family Matters, in some way, as reminiscent of Tanging Yaman, he shared that “it’s different… because (Tanging Yaman) is a classic movie also about faith, and yaman ng pamilya. Ours is about everyday things that happen in a family. Yes, it is a contemporary family drama about the problems of every family today. That is what we tackle here and at the same time, how they remain united at the end of the day.”
This is Nuel’s first movie with Cineko Productions, which had expressed interest to collaborate with the director even before the pandemic. But his prior and on-going commitments then came into play, as well as the pandemic. The right time finally arrived and Nuel wanted to do a family story. Then, the production group gave it the greenlight.
“Then, I thought of the (Family Matters) story because I already read its script way before,” he recalled. “Pinabasa sa akin ni Mel, lagi kaming magkasama ni Mel. And then, I remembered it and I thought this is the perfect family drama for this time because during the pandemic, we realized how fleeting life is, parang you don’t know (what will happen next)… tomorrow is never promised,” said he.
Asked about the challenges in doing a family drama, Nuel had this to say: “We’re still in the pandemic, mahirap pa rin yung scheduling. Family Matters is an ensemble. You had a lot of schedules to consider (as far as) the stars (are concerned). Luckily for us, their schedules jibed and we were like a family on the set. Whatever challenges we had while doing it, ang gaang-gaang (we handled it well and lightly). Sabi ko nga parang ‘di lang kami gumawa ng pelikula, parang we built a family on the set.”
The light and breezy working atmosphere could also be attributed to this known fact among filmmakers. “Like what they say, if you have good actors, parang half of the director’s work is done,” said Nuel. “While we were doing the casting, I told myself, ‘These are really the actors I want to work with.’ They are the actors I wanted to play the roles in the movie. The producer Mayor (Enrico) Roque was kind and gave me the free hand to choose all the actors. That’s why I’m so thankful that they (he and the other executives) trusted my decision.”
Nuel further shared that “when I do the look test for a film, I don’t just look at their (actors’) appearances at kung paano yung dating ng ilaw sa (kanila bilang) characters. I would do a scene (for the actors), so I could see the rapport they have with each other.”
From Day One, he knew that doing the movie would be fun. “They all looked like siblings, they were like one family. As a director, I had to give them the goal of each scene, saan ito galing, saan ito papunta, hanggang duon ko lang ini-explain. Then, (I gave them the space) to interpret it from my explanation. Ang gagaling, eh, you know when you do an ensemble, isa lang ang hindi magaling, babagsak siya. So, dapat talaga pare-pareho silang magagaling (they should all level up and keep up with each other),” said he.
Also part of the cast are Nonie Buencamino, James Blanco, Mylene Dizon, Ketchup Eusebio, Ina Feleo, Roxanne Guinoo, Agot Isidro, Ana Luna, JC Santos, Nikki Valdez and Ian Pangilinan.
Since films are reflections and slices of life, Family Matters intends to engage viewers about the parents-and-children relationship and the realities that come with it.
“For me, this is the kind of film, let’s say you’re in a faraway place or abroad, and your mom, dad and siblings are here, you’d be giving them a call,” said the director. “You will realize na oo nga naman pamilya pa rin talaga ang kasama mo sa hirap at ginhawa (that yes, in times of hardship and comfort, it’s your family who will be there with you).”
Family Matters is among the official entries to this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) and opens on Dec. 25 in theaters.
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