Chuckling amid silence
I wish Cinema One, which takes more risks gives more money, and often produces better films than Cinemalaya, would actually give filmmakers some rights to their work and stop swindling them. — Alexis Tioseco, Philippines Free Press, December 2008
Up to now, there haven’t been any developments in the case of the murder of Alexis and Nika Bohinc. Both were murdered last Sept. 1 at his home on Times St. a few houses away from where the late President Corazon Aquino lived. (In fact that awful night and following day I spent keeping vigil in front of his house. I was wearing a yellow shirt. No, it wasn’t because Noynoy was about to announce his candidacy — it was a Buzzcock’s shirt for their seminal punk single Orgasm Addict —but it just happened to be what I had on the moment I got that phone call from filmmaker Khavn dela Cruz with the news. Standing outside, on Times St. itself, passing cars would honk their horns and some even rolled down their windows to flash the “Laban” sign. Sometimes I would flash it back at them.) It all seems foolish now but we needed a bit of levity at the time: politics being casual fodder for such things. Three months after, it isn’t that foolish although — as the politicians start to file their candidacies — it now seems even more ridiculous, inane and futile.
To add to how absurd it all is, I even found myself (and my collaborator, Malek Lopez) winning Best Score at the recent Cinema One Originals Awards. I had quit filmmaking because I knew that I didn’t have the talent or the temperament for it, but here I was accepting an award for my work on Ray Gibraltar’s Wanted: Border (which I consider to be the best film I ever had the privilege to be asked to work on, and that includes my own feature). The director’s previous work When Timawa Meets Delgado was held in such high regard by Alexis that he badgered me often enough to go see it in the theater. Regrettably, I only did that after he died. I e-mailed the director and told him that I was moved by his work. Suddenly (and I am honest when I say I don’t know how) I found myself with the task of putting music to this difficult, complex but also moving piece of work in just two days. As I wrote last week, it was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to do in film. I’m only glad that Malek — one of the most talented people I know and a good friend — was available and willing to work on this film. (His grandmother had just passed as well so he could not be at the Awards ceremony.)
When our names were called out, I was nervous but already planned for it. Taking the award, I said my thanks to Ray, our cinematographer (and also old pal) Ogi Sugatan, our line producer Chits Jimenez and even our star, Rosanna Roces, who I’d never met until then. Her performance in this movie is nothing less than exceptional. (Her portrayal of Saleng manages to express the pathos of a Mary Magdalene as much as it welcomes being the scarlet lady still very pregnant with carnality, the focus of our Catholic fear-and-loathing of the female sex, the “Veronicas of our perversions.”) I then thanked the two most important people to me: my wife and Alexis.
Ronald Arguelles, who was always kind and supportive of Alexis, decided to dedicate this year’s festival to him. The hosts for the ceremony, Piolo Pascual and Eugene Domingo, also paid a short tribute to him in their spiels. After the premiere of Wanted: Border last Friday I reminded Ronald what Alexis had written and he smiled and acknowledged that they had discussed it. I know this to be true and that Alexis always maintained that Cinema One was far better than its counterpart Cinemalaya just on the basis of the quality of films. He only wished that the filmmakers be given some rights to their work. To this, I’m sure Ronald is receptive as he’s proven to be sensitive to the filmmaker’s concerns in the past. He was also there standing in front of Alexis’ house that terrible night.
Then, in front of everyone, as part of my acceptance of the award, I read out Alexis’ words. Not mine, but his. Before it I said that he wouldn’t forgive me if I didn’t take this opportunity to speak on his behalf.
After, I walked off the stage to the wings. As far as I can recall, the audience was totally silent. (Later on, RockEd founder Gang Badoy told me that that served as a moment of silence for both Alexis and Nika.)
Though I didn’t hear it there and then, I’d like to think that somewhere, Alexis was chuckling.
