Pelikula Q&A: Sa Kanto ng Ulap at Lupa An...

Pelikula Q&A: Sa Kanto ng Ulap at Lupa
An interview with director Mes De Guzman by Jansen Musico

How is Sa Kanto ng Ulap at Lupa different from your previous films?

Basically, the story is different, from the structuring of the script to the post production process. It’s more experimental and playful. Most of the time, the children will do their lines, and suggest blocking for their angles. All the actors here are locals. They came from different villages, and also it’s my first time to shoot in Bayombong, the capital town of Nueva Vizcaya. Nature and ambient sound played a big part in this film.

You have these four boys with four very distinct characters. Are each of them supposed to symbolize something or are they just who they are, random boys?

It just random, the characterization came first before the final script. The writing process was organic meaning, it depended on the actor’s real persona, before we went into the details of the script. For this film, I was not very conscious about symbols or semiotics. I just went with the flow. It was more on instinct in creating scenes. I just followed my creative rhythm.

A lot if not all of your films present very idyllic depictions of rural life. Why is that? What is it about that way of life that drives you to make films about it?

I grew-up in Nueva Vizcaya, I had a wonderful childhood wandering and having adventures in the rural landscape. But for me, it is not idyllic. It is just like a coated romantic place, underneath are complexities. I encountered different kinds of stories about people living in the countryside. Ideas eventually manifest in my films later. It is just homage to the place that I’m very attached and familiar with.

Is that why chose Nueva Vizcaya for the setting?

I already visualized the setting while developing the concept. I know the terrain, it just like going to a war that I already knew what is the locale or the battleground. And also there are many talented local actors waiting to be discovered. Interesting and compelling ideas are abundant too. There’s a vault of filmic ideas in this region.

You’ve worked a lot with kids in your previous films. This time you’re working with kids again. What is it about these first-time child actors that makes you want to work with them?

These kids are the story. Their real lives makes their characters unique and effective. They are fresh and playful in acting, in terms of depicting their roles. In my experience, it is easy for them to follow directions. It’s fun to work with kids; they don’t have attitudes and hang-ups. They are just kids playing and acting at the same time. In this film, we also develop their confidence and build camaraderie among them.

What training or workshops do you usually let your non-actors go through? Or do you forego workshops and go straight ahead with directing and shooting them?

We auditioned them, and then we did a workshop on basic acting for film. It was a three-day workshop. These actors were really good. Actually, the script was originally written in Filipino, but they were the ones who translated it into Ilocano. It was a collaborative effort.

Did you find it difficult working with the four boys in the movie?

Sometimes… You know kids; they have their peaks and mood swings. But the whole process was fun and full of energy. It is just like a big picnic, not a film shoot.

There have been several movies about poverty that have been produced. You’re also showing a bit of poverty in this film. What do you think is unique in the way you’re presenting the problem this time?

I didn’t focus in the poverty aspect. It was just the background. [When you make films] where the story happens in a developing country, you cannot escape it, just like an endemic reality. My treatment was very different for this film. I attacked the scenarios in a light manner and added some comedic touches. I like struggles, but I don’t go for melodrama.

Your films have been recognized in International film festivals like Rotterdam. What do you think foreign programmers like about what you produce?

I think it’s the visual treatment of the rural or tropical settings, and the story of children in these areas. There are so many children’s films in these festivals, but most of the settings are in urban areas. Plus I think it also helps that I document old customs and rural practices [and use them] as devices to move the story forward.

How do foreign audiences usually react to your films? How is that reaction different to the local audience?

In International Film Festivals, many of the audiences are cineastes, meaning they have background in world cinema. Most of them, appreciate not just the sceneries but also the local mundane stories in my films. Also they are more critical, for them, your film is good if you have something new to say and your film opens new discourse. They have the tendency to react more about the mis-en-scene of your film, the film language, art film stuff, etc. Here, I think, it is the same now. Because of independent cinema, audiences have an alternative. Gone are the days that the Filipino audience just reacts to the story and the acting or actors’ performances. Indie cinema breaks that celebrity system, especially now that regional film festivals showcase local films made from the province. They highlight dialects that showcase our diverse culture. Filipino cinema is more alive and dynamic now. It’s evolving.