Cebuano faith, culture in film "Aninong Samaran"

CEBU, Philippines - Our heart as a people, and our culture will be shared via a film with a religious theme, which is looking to reach a mix of evangelical and non-sectarian audiences here and abroad. “Aninong Samaran” will start its production come 2010, backed by a German-American producer who professes to “have seen Cebu and have learned to love Cebu.”

Groundwork for the two-hour “Aninong Samaran” (“Wounded Shadow”), which is penned by movie and stage critic Nick Ampatin (who currently teaches Mass Communication subjects in a local college), is already in place, to be directed by Cebuano director and writer Allan Jayme Rabaya. Its cast call started months back and readings were done last October 27, Tuesday, at the Golden Prince Hotel and Suites here in the city.

Dr. Gene Gert Semf, chief executive officer of St. John Entertainment Worldwide, Inc. of Las Vegas, Nevada, who produces films all his life, said that he has always been fascinated with Asian culture and sentiments. So that when Rabaya presented the materials, actually an adaptation of Ampatin’s “Aninong Samaran”, he expressed interest to produce the digital production and even vowed to bring the movie to the UK and London film festivals, and then off to the Berlin filmfest.

“Aninong Samaran” tells the story of Father Ronald, a priest who did not know that he had impregnated a non-government worker while he was yet living a life far from that of the seminary. Mona, the woman, revealed much later in her life that she has a son. And that the son, Juno, would later turn to Fr. Ronald with the most memorable line in the script: “Father, I want to become a priest.”

But how could such a twist develop when Juno’s girlfriend Samantha is heavy with his child? There, and then, enters the current of conflicts—surface and undercurrents that would sweep all characters involved, major and cameo, in what would seem like storm surges to hit lives interconnected by consequences.

The film will be shot mostly here in the premiere province of the country—parts of barangay Labangon specifically and in Moalboal town. Roy Empleo of ABS-CBN’s “Kapamilya, Winner Ka!” game show is cast in the lead role. His education, ordination and most of his life in the Holy Order will be shot at a seminary in Ireland to add the European flavor.

The producer, the director and the writer pointed out that the main conflict is how Fr. Ronald would redeem himself in the eyes and in the hearts of the people who love him. How the son finally accepts his total being, warts and all.

It is hoped that through this medium, many other artists as well as their audiences would walk on the path of evangelizing the Kingdom of God and glorifying the Sacred Heart of Jesus—the “aninong samaran” himself.

 This full-length feature will be in the Sinugbuano language, with English subtitles for the international markets and competitions. On the language concern, Semf expressed that St. John Entertainment would take care of translating Filipino English to Hollywood English as what is “accepted spoken language” in US filmdom.

Shooting is scheduled on August 2010 as the launch of Ampatin’s book of the same title would have to come first. It is expected to be out by June of next year in paperback, set tentatively at 200 pages.

According to Semf, shooting would take a six to seven-week schedule, of which one week would be spent in Ireland with a German crew. Rabaya, being a pianist himself, would also be in charge of movie theme and scoring.