Gatas: Love and passion in time of war

Never before has there been a movie filled with love and passion in time of war. But then it is only now that Gatas (Sa Dibdib ng Kaway) is made. In time of war, three lives intersect and collide: Pilar (Mylene Dizon), a beautiful woman with a great capacity for love and passion; Diego (Jomari Yllana), a guerrilla whose devotion for his country matches his hatred for the enemy; Hiroshi (Kenji Motoki), a kind and brave Japanese officer whose good heart is barely concealed behind the dreaded flag of his country.

Mylene is launched to stardom in Gatas in a role that is bold in body and soul exposure. She is torn between two men: her husband and the Japanese officer, the enemy who has shown her kindness. In exchange for her husband’s freedom, she becomes a wet nurse to the motherless son of the Japanese officer, much to her husband’s resentment. She treats the son of the enemy as her very own, feeding him with the same sweet milk that nourishes her own daughter.

A much talked-about scene in Gatas shows Jomari sucking Mylene’s milk-filled bosom. He is hungry and thirsty after being tortured by Japanese soldiers for days. Mylene has nothing to offer Jomari but the milk in her breast.

The touching and powerful and controversial scene was inspired by a painting director Gil Portes saw at the Hermitage in St. Petersburg (Russia) in 1999. "I was struck by a powerful painting by the Italian artist Artemisia. It was an image of a daughter breastfeeding her thirsty father, who was on his way to the guillotine. It haunted me. I remembered a childhood story during the Second World War of a young mother who was a wet nurse to a Japanese infant."

Portes collaborated on the story and script of Gatas with Butch Dalisay.

Mylene falls in love with Kenji, embittering further Jomari who vows to exact revenge against the enemy. But Jomari himself shacks up with another woman (Ynez Veneracion) in the mountains, the guerrillas’ hideout. Mylene is ostracized by the townspeople.

Friends from way back and even her own family criticized Mylene for "baring and daring." But when they saw the movie during a sneak preview they sang a different tune. The consensus is: An actress is born. Mylene Dizon is the First Star of 2001.

The sweet Beth Tamayo said that given a project like Gatas she would do what Mylene did. Young superstar Judy Ann Santos said she would also, "If had the body of Mylene."

After some time, Jomari Yllana portrayed a part which drew out the best in him, understated and subdued but nevertheless gripping performance.

Kenji Motoki elicited raves in Gatas, his very first movie. He’s perfect as the Japanese officer: educated, cultured, brave, and loyal to his flag. Kenji was educated in Vancouver, Canada and lived in Tokyo, Japan, where his grandfather served as Philippine ambassador.

Gatas (Sa Dibdib ng Kaaway) is a Crown Seven Ventures production.