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MULING nakatanggap ng pagkilala ang pelikulang Tagpuan na pinagbidahan nina Iza Calzado, Shaina Magdayao, at Alfred Vargas sa katatapos na Samskara International Film Festival sa India.
Nasungkit ni Direk McArthur C. Alejandre ang Best Director sa Samskara International Film Festival. Nauna rito, nagwagi ang pelikulang ito ng 3rd Best Picture at Best Supporting Actress sa Metro Manila Film Festival 2020 na isinulat ng multi awarded screenwriter, Ricky Lee. Nakipag-compete rin ito sa apat na international festivals at nagwagi bilang Best Feature Film sa Chauri Chaura International Film Festival.
Masayang-masaya si Direk Mc sa pagkakapanalong ito. Aniya, ”I’m happy because it has made people who worked in the film and people who matter to me, like family and friends, happy. When we completed ‘Tagpuan,’ the fulfillment I felt was overwhelming and enough for me. The international recognitions are sweet icing on the cake that is shared with all my collaborators, in front and behind the camera.”
Ginawa ni Direk Mc ang Tagpuan dahil nais nilang maka-inspire o magbigay-inspirasyon. ”I am always inspired and inspirations come from all around me. What matters most is to have people believe in a vision and collaborate with you in the completion of that vision. And for that I am blessed to have Alfred Vargas and Ricky Lee. Our journey began in ‘Kaputol,’ my first indie film that also won Best Performance for its acting ensemble at the Innuendo International Film Festival in Italy.
“Alfred, my actor and producer, chose to do ‘Kaputol’ after giving him 3 concepts, 2 of which are more mainstream and popular in appeal. I remember telling him ‘Alfred, are you sure you want to produce ‘Kaputol?’ Baka 100 na tao lang ang manood, 80 doon mga kamag- anak at kaibigan natin.’
“Then he said , ‘Maganda ang ‘Kaputol’ at alam ko na ‘yan ang gusto mo gawin. Don’t think of ROI. Do a film that will make you happy and that will mean we will have a good film.’
“That is full trust. And that is inspiring.”
Pagbabahagi pa ni Direk Mac kung paano nagsimula ang Kaputol at nagawa ang Tagpuan, ”Kaputol hasn’t been released theatrically or streamed online. Alfred didn’t recoup his investment but he was happy with the film. Then he said ‘Can we do a love story for our next project?.’
“Ricky and I have been friends and colleagues for over 30 years so he knows me and my strengths and weaknesses. We have collaborated on several mainstream movies, many of which have been box office hits. For our next project, we knew we didn’t want to do a romcom.
“We wanted to do a film on people who have fallen in and out of love. A story of broken people. A study of time and space, of home and territoriality. I wanted a Chinese flavor. I specifically said I wanted to shoot in Binondo, HongKong, and Chinatown in New York City. Ricky said he wants a film about loss and recovery. The places as milieu, being far from each other allows more expanse and exploration not only in terms of what is physical and emotional but of chasms and links created by time and space.
“And Ricky, the brilliant writer that he is made me fall in love with the first draft of the script. Ricky’s use of long dialogues provided the film a peculiar and enigmatic cadence and this rhythm allowed me to enter a world where lines become secondary to the beating and language of the heart. It is abstract and internal and mesmerizing.
“And again, Alfred, with great enthusiasm was on board. That was how Tagpuan came to be. The budget of Tagpuan was more than the budget of Kaputol. Again, Alfred hasn’t, yet, recouped his investment. Again, he is happy and proud of ‘Tagpuan.’ Winning awards may be part of the happiness. But I feel the happiness stems from the fact that ‘Kaputol’ and ‘Tagpuan’ have allowed him, us, to grow as artists. Each film is a platform for growth and greater understanding of ourselves, of people, and social structures and conditions that we live in.”
Hindi naman makalilimutan ni Direk Mc ang magagandang experiences nila habang ginagawa ang Tagpuan.
“It is always a great adventure to make films with friends. Shooting abroad, though doubly difficult, is always rewarding in terms of bonding with workmates,” pagbabahagi pa ng director.
SHOWBIZ KONEK
ni Maricris Valdez Nicasio
