Eloquent beyond words

MANILA, Philippines - Made mute by unbearable experiences with his own father, Onyok is brought to a children’s shelter where he suffers further bullying, until plucky girl Shirley becomes his protector.

An encounter with the shelter’s “mad man,” a violinist named Ariel, changes the course of Onyok’s life.

Guilt-ridden and traumatized over a girlfriend’s death, Ariel initially terrorizes Onyok until he discovers the boy’s gift.

Such a plot may seem to demand too much acting prowess from film neophytes Bolipata and Duque, but viewers who know them are in for a certain degree of amazement as both actually perform so credibly, they can immediately get hooked into the reel characters.

“I think it’s significant to note that the movie is titled ‘Boses,’ but Onyok, its main character, doesn’t say a single word in the movie,” Bolipata shares. “Music was able to reach Onyok and Ariel. A non-verbal kind of healing.”

Music is also central to the enjoyment of the film. Viewers are set to find themselves carried away by pianist Jourdann Petalver’s score. Under Bolipata’s musical direction, familiar pieces like “Ang Pipit,” “Sa Ugoy ng Duyan,” and Vivaldi’s “Spring Concerto” were weaved into the story together with Petalver’s soulful original compositions.

“On a personal level, the film also opens up a way for me to deconstruct my own process as a performer,” says Bolipata, who has given the country great honor by his violin mastery.

“In music, the connection to your emotions is not as direct as acting. In music it’s more abstract, more sublimated through movement, though vibrato,” states Bolipata, adding that the experience has added depth to how he connects with his audience. “You become more aware on the stage.”

The film was shot in and around the main house of Creative Alternatives for Social Action (CASA) San Miguel in Zambales. Established by Bolipata in 1993, CASA San Miguel is a foundation that brings music and the arts to underprivileged children.

Many of the students at CASA San Miguel come from families of farming and fishing backgrounds.

“Children need to be able to express themselves – and sometimes, their vocabulary is not enough to effectively communicate their emotions. This is where the arts come in,” adds Bolipata.

First shown in 2008 at the fourth Cinemalaya and screened in local and international film festivals, the film’s five-year journey heads home: “Boses” is set for commercial release via SM Cinemas on July 31.

Directed by Ellen Ongekeko-Marfil and written by Froilan Medina and Rody Vera with cinematography by Nap Jamir, “Boses” also stars veterans Meryll Soriano, Cherry Pie Picache and Ricky Davao.

For his part, Duque shares that Bolipata’s participation in the film bolstered his confidence. “I was very young when the film was shot. But Sir Coke was there, I was not afraid,” he shares.

Now a scholar in music at De La Salle Zobel School, Duque was only seven years old when he starred in “Boses.” He admits that the experience whetted his appetite for acting.

“If I become an actor. I want to be like Ricky Davao,” he states in an interview held recently during a cast reunion.

In a light moment, acting veteran Davao, who plays Onyok’s father Marcelo,  says he regards this comment of Duque as “enough flattery,” as he smiles and explains that Duque acted so well, and with so much heart, and states in jest that he may have been upstaged in certain scenes.

Boses” pushes the issue of child abuse without being vulgar or too visual. The sensitive treatment of the subject has given the film an A rating from the Cinema Evaluation Board and a following from different sectors.

The film has enjoyed a groundswell of support, from child-focused organizations, religious groups to government agencies, mainly because of the hopeful theme that shines through despite the bleak situation portrayed in the film.

Recently, “Boses” was presented to the members of the Vienna International Centre (VIC) Club Filipino, an organization put up by Filipinos working at the United Nations in Vienna, youth leaders from Ang Mananampalatayang Gumagawa (AMG), and to teacher invitees of the Ortigas Library Foundation.

The film has garnered endorsements from the Department of Education, the Commission on Higher Education and CBCP’s Episcopal Commission on Youth. It was also included in a seven-film series for officers and employees of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) who may later be posted overseas. The screenings were sponsored by the Cultural Diplomacy Unit of DFA.

Last June 20, “Boses” was screened at Riverside Studios Cinema in London. The screening was supported by London group of the One Billion Rising (OBR) campaign on violence against women and children, Save the Children and the Philippine consulate in London.

“We’re thankful for all the support we are getting. It’s unlikely that an indie film gets to be released commercially so long after it was first put out there,” beams Marfil. “I have seen the film connect with all kinds of audiences: young and old, rich and poor, from Tondo to New York – they shout, cheer, and cry. I draw my strength and confidence from these reactions.”

Marfil shares that “Boses” connects because it tells a familiar story but gives it a different ending. “Child abuse happens in our communities, in our homes. It’s a familiar story. And while ‘Boses’ appeals to the gut like a traditional film – it has drama, romance, violence, comedy – its endpoint diverges.”