by JULIO CINCO N.
THIS early the pitch is that Tikoy Aguiluz's forthcoming movie, "El Presidente: The Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo Story", is a dream come true; and it is intended for the Cannes Film Festival (France), the Venice Film Festival (Italy) and possibly the Oscars (Hollywood, USA). From the mouth of babes..., I should say.
Coming from the lead actor (of the said movie) and actual producer Gov. E.R. Ejercito, such pronouncements are meaningless, judging from certain circumstances and the existing realities of the same project.
Umpisahan natin sa kanilang press pit, este, press kit pala, na ipinamigay sa nakaraang media conference sa Club Filipino, Greenhills, San Juan City na ginanap noong Agosto 6, 2011. Ganito ang isinasaad sa umpisang bahagi ng isang kalakip na pahina:
"The long wait is over!"
"The epic film, EL PRESIDENTE: THE GENERAL EMILIO AGUINALDO STORY (caps not mine) will finally mark its existence as Scenema Concepts grinds its cameras this August 8, 2011 with no less but Laguna Gov. ER Ejercito, a.k.a Jeorge Estregan, in the title role. After more than 11 years of thorough research on the love and life of the first president of the Philippine Republic, Scenema Concepts producer Ms. Mylene Enriquez and Laguna Gov. ER Ejercito gathered every detail to make this historical movie come true. Brilliant Roy Iglesias writes the script while award-winning director Tikoy Aguiluz megs the much-awaited controversial film."
Whoever wrote the film's publicity material must have attended Jimmy Santos's workshop in elegant Carabao English, and nobody seemed to have minded among the production and PR staff. Such "brilliance" makes one cringe....
I don't want to go into details and finish the entire page of the same publicity stuff because one is supposed to be kind, in accordance with the dictates of polite and civil society. However, the temptation is such that I can't help but cite the first line from the three-page introduction: "An epic film about General Emilio Agunaldo, whose passion lit the spark of the revolution against Spain and America and forged the founding of the first democratic republic in Asia."
Change, indeed, is the only thing constant in the universe, as many scientists and spiritualists would say, and changing idioms for convenience could be fun, funny and foul. Lit the spark, have flame. Get the drift?
And be careful with the double-edged word "forge". Is someone doing some "forging" in the film, and somebody else is a historical "forger"? Some monumental "forgery" in the history of our nation, the "Virata version"!
Kunsabagay, sabi nga nila, kung mangangarap na rin lang mabuti pa'y itodo na at lubos-lubusin. Tutal, libre naman ang mangarap, di ba? That is, walang bayad na pera, kuwarta at salapi sa materialistic world na ito.
But what about the emotional ang psychic cost of dreams and wishes? Some dreams turn into nightmares and certain wishes could be dangerous. Remember the betrayal and murder of the Bonifacio brothers on May 10, 1897? It will forever haunt unless...
Sa bahaging "commercial justification" (whatever that means) ng parehong press release, mapangahas nilang sinabi na "It is now ripe for a commercial Filipino epic movie in the tradition of GANDHI, REVOLUTION, BRAVEHEART, TROY and the LAST SAMURAI (caps still not mine) to be finally produced and exhibited globally."
Such grand ambition. Puwede palang magwala sa pangarap. At mawala sa sarili. At least, binanggit nila ang remote movie na "Revolution". Sinong bida, aber nga? Ayaw ni Carlito Corleone ng ganyan!
Iba talaga ang nagagawa ng "power and pelf" sa pulitika. Sayang dahil ang bigkas ng ilan sa Cannes ay parang mga lata ("cans") lang ng sardinas. Marahil, akala nila ang Cannes (arguably the most prestigious filmfest) at Venice (probably the oldest filmfest among the majors) ay mga
"barangganic" filmfest lang sa Penang, Bacolod at Laguna. That is, kung mayroon pang filmfest sa naturang mga lugar. So there...
anong say mo best joel and jay?
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