Director Mac Alejandre wants to make films that matter
Director MacArthur Alejandre took up Bachelor of Science in Industrial Pharmacy when he entered the University of the Philippines. His mom wanted him to become a doctor.
He spent days at the UP Sunken Garden thinking of what his future might be, while at the same time, imagining stories. However, when he got to his sophomore year, direk Mac shifted to Humanities, so that was closer to becoming a film director.
Mac subsequently got a film scholarship from the UP Film Institute under Virgie Moreno and Nick De Ocampo. Raymond Red was his classmate. The end of the term was a short film that the scholar would present as his term project.
“Raymond was my neighbor and family friend,” Direk Mac shared. “His sisters and my sisters were also friends. His parents and my parents know each other. That was where we started.”
Direk Mac joined the Manila Short Film Festival in 1983, with his entry, Ang Estranghero, based on the play by Tony Reyes. One of the judges was Serf Reyes of the Mowelfund.
“Raymond won for the Experimental category and I won third place for the Feature Film.”
Direk Mac also joined the ECP (Experimental Cinema of the Philippines) Short Film Festival with another film, Medya (Half), an LGBT story that won third place.
Two years later, direk Mac collaborated with screenwriter Ricky Lee in Kaputol,that starred Tommy Abuel and Jay Valencia Glorioso. It finally won first place at the Manila Short Film Festival in UP.
“Even in the ‘80s, short films were very much alive,” he shared. “We screened my short films before the critics.”
When award-winning director Ishmael Bernal was looking for an assistant director for a soap series on GMA 7, Maynila, with Jaclyn Jose and Rio Locsin, with the late Amado “Mads” Lacuesta as writer, direk Mac grabbed the opportunity to work with Bernal. Ed Instrella recommended him.
“After one season, Mads took a break, so Bernal asked me to come in,” Mac recalled. “I worked as his writer and assistant director for Maynila.”
Then, direk Mac later worked as Bernal’s assistant director in Pinulot Ka Lang sa Lupa (1987), with Maricel Soriano. He was recommended by Lee.
He was earlier introduced as an apprentice production assistant in director Gil Portes’ Bukas May Pangarap (1984).
Direk Mac also worked with director Mel Chionglo in Dyesebel with Alice Dixson (1990) and Babaeng Hampas Lupa (1988).
He later worked with director Chito Roño in Vision Films and Viva Films. Direk Mac also tried working in a Willy Milan action flick, Lumaban Ka, Sagot Kita (1990), with Julio Diaz, who was then launched as an action star.
After that, Mac came full circle with direk Gil when he worked as the latter’s assistant director in Class of 1991. He became a full-fledged director and since then, there was no more stopping him.
He directed Nora Aunor in Maala-ala Mo Kaya for TV on Sept. 13, 1991. He very well recalled it was Friday the 13th. To date, direk Mac worked with three National Artists — Bernal, Aunor and Lee.
“Ricky was the first one who believed in me,” direk Mac said. “He told me even before, I would become a director. He believed in me. He pushed me. He trained me.”
He recently collated the list of his films that joined international festivals abroad. “Not all the films I made joined film festivals,” Mac declared. “I have a friend who’s helping me out on what festivals to join in and we discuss it.”
Recently, direk Mac’s Silip sa Apoy, Selina’s Gold and May, December, January made it to international film festivals abroad. “It’s hard to find festivals and field in films of Vivamax,” direk Mac maintained.
“There should be no streaming of Vivamax in the country where the festival is held. That is one of the requirements.”
Direk Mac’s May, December, January got in to Rochester, New York because when the festival was held there, the film wasn’t shown in Manila yet. The film wasn’t screened on Vivamax and it had a theatrical release.
Two films in competition at the Asian Film Festival in Barcelona, Spain last December 2022 were May-December-January and Silip sa Apoy — both written by now National Artist for Film Lee.
Screening Mac’s works in an international film festival is important to the 61-year-old veteran director, known for such memorable films as Tagpuaan, In Your Eyes, One True Love, Captain Barbell, Lastikman and Isang Tanong, Isang Sagot.
The first film that direk Mac fielded in festivals was Silip sa Apoy, one of the most viewed films on Vivamax. The film has been making the rounds of the international festival circuit.
“That is a validation not only for the people behind the film, but also the producers,” direk Mac insisted. “That makes me happy. I’m way past the limelight now. Long before the pandemic, all I want to do are films that really matter.”
Silip sa Apoy won Best Feature Film at Chauri Chaura International Film Festival and Direk Mac bagged second Best Director at Samskara Film Festival, both in India.
The film also competed at the San Antonio International Film Festival in Ecuador. Moreover, Silip sa Apoy joined the Asian Film Festival in Barcelona, Spain together with May, December, January.
“The festival is important because the film is given a wider audience,” said direk Mac. “The platform given to the film as an official selection in the festival and it will win awards, there was validation of the hard work behind these movies.
Direk Mac’s “constant collaborator” is Lee. “We always discuss the films,” the director shared. “I’m very open to the platform. That’s my genre.”
Even when he was still in college at UP, he had no qualms discussing sex and violence topics in films.
“Selina’s Gold, I wrote on my own,” the filmmaker admitted. “That has been my material since two decades ago. I pitched that as early as that time to Viva. It was suggested that I tame the story, but I refused to cut anything. That was the point of the film. Why should I tame it?”
When the pandemic came and Viva decided to greenlight Selina’s Gold, direk Mac handpicked young actress Angeli Khang to star in the period film, with award-winning actor Jay Manalo.
Selina’s Gold won for Mac the Best Director award at the Wallachia International Film Festival in Bucharest, Romania last September.
From a script he wrote and directed, Selina’s Gold was inspired by the “very strong women” whom direk Mac grew up with. “I grew up around very strong women,” he offered. “My mom. Both my siblings are females. I am the middle child of three. I have very strong aunts. I grew up around very strong women.”
Meanwhile, for the male lead, direk Mac had three names of actors in mind. “I wanted a mature actor who would do all those daring scenes and was really good,” the director shared. “I was happy when Jay said yes. I worked with him before on TV, several times. Selina’s Gold was Jay’s first film with me.”
So far, Direk Mac has wrapped up nine films for Vivamax. In three years, he did My Husband, My Lover, Silip sa Apoy, May, December, January, the series Huwag Mong Agawin ang Akin, Selina’s Gold, Call Me, Alma, Sila ay Akin, Bela Luna and Ganti-Ganti.
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