There was the Akira Kurosawa-Toshiro Mifune (Japan) tandem, until the two had a falling-out. There was also the Vittorio de Sica-Sophia Loren director-actress team (Italy). And who can ever forget our very own Lino Brocka whose team-up with Phillip Salvador produced many of our classics (Bona, Jaguar, etc.), even as Brocka teamed up with other actors (Gina Alajar, Hilda Koronel, etc.) and came up with similar masterpieces?
And then there’s the Marilou Diaz-Abaya-Cesar Montano partnership which has so far produced two blockbuster movies, Rizal and Muro-Ami, which were both critically and commercially successful, thus firming up the reputation of Marilou and Cesar as "the team to beat" (unbeaten, so far).
The "partnership" has just come up with another potential blockbuster, Bagong Buwan, a joint venture between Star Cinema and Bahaghari Productions (former Miss Universe Margie Moran-Floirendo is one of those behind it) which is, like Rizal (1998) and Muro-Ami (1999), entered in the Metro Manila Film Festival (Dec. 25 to Jan. 3, 2002).
Tackling the sensitive issue of the unresolved conflict in Mindanao and the peace talks that haven’t resulted in any solutions until now, Bagong Buwan (literally meaning "the New Moon" when the night is at its darkest – the moon is present but unseen – marking the beginning of the Holy Month of Ramadan) features Cesar as Ahmad (from the Bangsamoro tribe), a Muslim doctor who quits his work in Manila and goes back to Mindanao when his only son is killed by a stray bullet when vigilantes indiscriminately fire at the village.
Ahmad’s plan to bring his family (nurse-wife Amy Austria and his mom Caridad Sanchez) to Manila to escape the war in Mindanao (where most families are sheltered in evacuation camps) changes when he learns more about his own people, how the government is taking them for granted and how the Moro as a people are striving to fight for their rights and liberty. Once a Muslim, always a Muslim, so Ahmad offers the ultimate sacrifice – dying for his people in true jihad style.
Conversations pinned down direk Marilou and Cesar in separate interviews. What makes the partnership tick?
Let’s hear it from direk Marilou first:
Direk Marilou on Cesar: With us, it’s almost telepathic
Would you consider Bagong Buwan as your most political film, especially since it tackles a very sensitive issue/subject?
"I think so, kasi ‘yung Rizal, may closure na somehow ang historical event na ‘yon. You know, you resuscitate it every generation… you give new meanings and readings. But this war is ongoing and the prejudices are very active. When I started working on it, akala ko nandoon lang ako sa Pikit at Carmen in Cotabato, you know. I didn’t expect the making of the movie to coincide with the expansion of the conflict. When I started working on the material, the war was not yet called by (then President Joseph) Erap (Estrada)."
How did Margie get into the project?
"Margie called me up on Jan. 4 last year. She told me that they saw Muro-Ami at iyak daw sila nang iyak. Marissa Floirendo, one of the cinematographers of Muro-Ami, is related to Margie’s husband (Tony Floirendo). Margie said, ‘Sana, we could do a movie like that for the children naman of Mindanao.’ You know, the children of war, ‘yung mga na-orphan, mga na-displaced by the war. I asked Margie, ‘What’s your agenda?’ And she said, ‘Peace.’ During that phone conversation, I said ‘yes’ unconditionally because of the progress (of the war)."
How soon after did you start writing the story?
"Well, nabuo ‘yung story after the war na, in November last year. The war started in March last year."
How did you and your fellow writers (Ricky Lee and Jun Lana) handle such a sensitive, delicate subject? Did you try to stay, you know, in the middle?
"Actually, I’m not in the middle; I’m pro-peace. And I also take the perspective of a Muslim. I’m a Roman Catholic but I take the perspective of Cesar’s family (in the movie) which is Muslim. It’s really the result of my living with Muslims in the war zone. I was in Mindanao for a year, I was coming in and out, during the war. I got caught in the war zone, going in and out of the evacuation camps in Cotabato as well as in Lanao del Sur."
So you lived, actually experienced, what you put in the movie – the situations, the encounters between the military and the Muslims, the characters, etc.
"There’s nobody in the film, there’s no character in it, that I don’t know. I know who they are. The characters have been derived from real life. Sometimes, nagko-composite ako, such as in the case of Jhong (Hilario) whose character is true-life. Pari ‘yon, e; kaibigan ko. In real life, the boy died at his feet. In the movie, however, Jason is not a priest but a peace worker."
The evacuation scenes are very real, parang docu-drama…
"…what you see in the movie is nothing compared to the real evacuation camp. Where I was, there were about 65,000 refugees in one camp alone, in Pikit. There were more in Parang and Carmen, all in Cotabato. Eventually, I was interviewing very intensely MILF members at their kuta. At the same time, I had connections in the 6th Infantry Division, the 403rd Infantry Division and the V. Luna Hospital where there were soldiers, and they were all helpful and useful in my research. That was all I did for a year before I even sat down to write the script."
And that’s when you consulted the Muslim representatives (who helped supervise the project) for their opinion on the material…
"No, I consulted them one week after Margie talked to me about her interest in the project. The first time I talked to one of them (representatives), he asked me, ‘What can you possibly say about us?’ I said, ‘I’m looking for your human condition; it matters to me that I understand. I want to feel it but I can’t feel it.’ I accepted the project in January, 2000, for the sake of the orphan children of war. By April, the war was declared, so I was already committed."
So nagkaroon ka ng direction…
"…exactly. Before that, I wasn’t sure kung saan pupunta ang estorya. When Erap declared the war, I was immersed in the evacuation centers and I did all my interviews, and that’s when my story took a shape. Then I knew I wanted to say, like the character Francis in the movie, ‘Tama na, tama na!’ Enough already!"
Before starting on the movie, did you have any prejudices like most people had?
"No, I didn’t. In my last 10 years in the international circuit, especially in the ’90s when Iran Cinema started to really develop worldwide, I had a lot of Iranian friends, I have friends from Egypt; I have many, many Muslim friends who are filmmakers. I was watching their films all these years. Wala akong prejudice against the Muslims; walang sinasabi ang parents ko against Muslims. But I must admit that, in the beginning, my prejudice was against Iranians because all I kept seeing were PLO and Iranians with guns, until I started to watch Iranian cinema in 1990/91, films like The Father, and I said, ‘Ay, mayroon palang Tatay na Iranian; may human side din pala sila.’ So that kind of prepared me…By the time I was studying Islam, I started from zero. I had two tutors, Datu/Professor Mike Mastura for history and Fr. Jun Mercado for Islamic studies and theology."
After Rizal and Muro-Ami, I thought you were going to do Larawan (Nick Joaquin’s Portrait of the Artist as Filipino). What happened?
"Well, the negotiations (for Larawan) fell through even before the showing of Muro-Ami. After doing Muro-Ami, I thought I was going to die of exhaustion. I was suffering from hypothermia (a condition of abnormally low body temperature); I was pasmado because of all the diving I did during the filming of Muro-Ami (in Bohol). I wanted to go on a sabbatical. Malou (Santos, Star Cinema managing director) asked me what I liked to do for Star Cinema but I begged off because I didn’t feel na kaya ko mag-trabaho in the next two years. What happened was that, naka-sabbatical nga ako, kaya lang sa giyera."
What about the Nana Rosa (the Comfort Woman) project (also for Star Cinema, which would have starred Vilma Santos in the title role)?
"I still like the Nana Rosa project, I’m still interested in it, but that might have to come later…"
Which is more exhausting, more difficult to do? Rizal, Muro-Ami or Bagong Buwan?
"Bagong Buwan, definitely! The terrain… that was really hard…the shooting uphill and downhill... and then we were rained out so it took us five calendar months to finish the shooting. And then, the emotions involved because as while we were shooting, the real war was also progressing. Kaya mas mahirap physically kasi may pinapasan ako. And then the marines (who were doing bit roles in the movie). They would be on the set one day and then the next day, they would be sent back to Mindanao. May ganoon akong kinakarga."
Which of the three films were you most emotionally involved in?
"Bagong Buwan. Because I got affected not only physically and emotionally but also spiritually. At saka, it’s real. e. The deaths are real; I actually saw people die the way they are shown in the movie. The people die like flies! One time, I was interviewing a commander and we were interrupted because somebody died. We had to pass through dead bodies."
Aside from what you mentioned already, what other preparations did you make for the movie?
"Basically, dalawang preparations ’yan – academic preparation (Islamic studies, etc.) and the workshops for the actors. The selection of the cast was easy. After I cast Cesar, the rest were cast by Star Cinema (including Jericho Rosales as the anti-war soldier, Amy Austria as Cesar’s nurse-wife, Caridad Sanchez as Cesar’s mother, Nonie Buencamino and Ronnie Lazaro as Muslim rebels, Carlo Aquino, Jodi Santamaria, etc.). Happy ako sa choices ng Star Cinema."
How was their workshops?
"The actors playing military men trained with the military and the actors playing Muslims trained with the Muslims, including how Muslims worship. Nag-history lessons pa kami, kasama ’yung mga child performers. For the principal cast, two months ang workshop namin. For my soldiers, one month."
Budget-wise, magkano?
"Like Muro-Ami, I guess. P40 million plus."
After Rizal and Muro-Ami, didn’t you think of doing a "small film" as a breather?
"I want to. I’d love to do a romantic comedy, a ‘small family drama,’ something not as big in scope as Rizal and Muro-Ami. Kaya lang mga big-budgetted projects ang dumarating."
Are you and Cesar on a package deal?
"Hindi."
But he’s your signature actor...
"... I’d like to think so. I’m happy working with him. Three big films and I have no complaints."
You have such a harmonious, symbiotic working relationship.
"It’s intuitive. With Cesar and me, it’s almost telepathic. From Rizal to Muro-Ami to Bagong Buwan... hindi pa kami tapos. I pull him, he pulls me; there’s more space for growth. Marami pa kami magagawa together. Cesar carries his own weight. He does his homework aside from what I assign him, so I get very stimulated."
Did you have to change or check any acting mannerisms that he might have?
"Siguro ‘yung speech and breathing pattern niya. I’m very conscious of that. ‘Yon lang siguro."
Cesar is also, in his own right, a director. Do you sometimes disagree on how certain scenes should be shot?
"Yes. And he’s usually right." (Laughs)
Such as...?
"...sometimes, I’d tell him, ‘When you deliver the lines, I don‘t want to hear it; I just want you to say it to yourself.’ Kunwari ganoon ang direksyon. ‘At the same time, ‘yung emotions mo are already up here at talagang puputok ka na.’ So ‘take’ kami. I’d be happy with the ‘take’ but from the expression in his face, I know that he isn’t, so he’d ask for a retake. So ‘take’ kami ulit. The second ‘take’ would be better, kaya tama siya."
Cite a specific example from Bagong Buwan.
"His death scene. And the death scene of Tita Caring (Sanchez). Nag-input si Cesar doon sa blocking and in the way he, and Tita Caring, should die. But it happens so infrequently that he never suggests anything na hindi ko natatanggap. Very infrequent siya mag-bigay ng suggestions pero sigurado kang tama siya. He’s never imposing."
What do you think makes your partnership work?
"We’re both interested in the same things. Gusto niyang kalkalin ‘yung sining niya. I’m like that, too. Like me, he’s genuinely interested in people. We’re both interested in, aside from the movies, painting, diving, music and poetry. Interested din kami pareho sa religion. We operate on the same wave length. Like Bagong Buwan. The very first time I told Cesar about it, nakuha na niya kaagad ang intensyon ko, that we were going to do something uncertain dahil hindi ko pa nga alam ang terrain – something risky, you know."
Do you think you and Cesar have meeting of the minds as far as the theme of this movie is concerned?
"Yes. He’s more religious than I am. We are both pro-peace; that’s non-negotiable. Bagong Buwan is neither pro-military nor pro-Muslims; it’s pro-peace. The intention of the film is... peace. The government and the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) want... peace. Everybody wants peace. Who wants war, anyway? War is senseless."
How do you think peace can be achieved – in real life (it’s unresolved in the movie)?
"Politicallty, I really feel na until and unless we learn to live together, the three of us – Jewish, Christians and Muslims – in Jerusalem, in a peaceful co-existence, we won’t really learn to live anywhere together. That’s what the peace negotiators are trying to fix now and I’m really praying that they will succeed. I believe that once they set an example in Jerusalem, the rest of the world will know what to do."
Cesar on direk Marilou: She’s a brilliant director; I put myself in her full control
Why do you think your partnership with direk Marilou works?
"Why? First of all, pareho kaming naniniwala sa mga projects na ginagawa namin. Marilou is script-oriented and so am I. We usually start on the premise that ‘the material is important and that it can contribute to the betterment of the public’ and then we put our hearts into it."
Direk Marilou said that you share many things, that you have the same interests.
"She paints and so do I. As you put it in the vernacular, madali kaming magka-ututang-dila. Mahilig siya sa art, sa movies at sa music, at pati na rin sa poetry, and so am I."
Being also a director (Warfreak, etc.), don’t you sometimes clash with direk Marilou on how certain scenes should be done? Wala bang conflict of ideas?
"Marilou is a brilliant director at kung ano ang gusto niya ay siyang dapat masunod. I do make some suggestions but very seldom. I don’t want to cramp her style. I learn from her, and not the other way around. She knows more than I do as far as directing is concerned."
Before Rizal and Muro-Ami – and now Bagong Buwan – you had your own acting style. Did you have to "unlearn" anything when you began working with direk Marilou?
"I have to totally forget my previous movies. . .how I acted in them. I’ve been learning a lot from Marilou. Like control of emotions. She would tell me, for example, ‘O, Cesar, ayokong pumatak ang luha mo dito,’ so I have to hold back my tears. She reminds me when I’m getting carried away."
For Rizal and Muro-Ami, you had role models to pattern your charaters after. You did extensive research on Rizal before you started shooting. For Muro-Ami, you talked to and observed real muro-amis in your native Bohol. For Bagong Buwan, mayroon ka bang role model?
"Like before we did Rizal and Muro-Ami, we had pre-shooting workshops for Bagong Buwan and we studied kung paano magdasal ang mga Muslim, papano magsalita, paano umarte, kung anu-ano ang mga do’s and don’ts nila, kung ano ang history nila... That helped me a lot in my characterization in Bagong Buwan."
What did you learn from Rizal and Muro-Ami na nagamit mo in Bagong Buwan?
"‘Yung pagka-duktor ni Rizal. ‘Yung physical preparations for Muro-Ami also helped me a lot because my role in Bagong Buwan ay may pagka-physical din. The preparations for Bagong Buwan were more in internalization. We also did research on Islam and the Muslims so as not to offend our Muslim brothers."
What’s your personal stand on the conflict in Mindanao?
"I’m pro-peace. I should say that after doing the movie, I understand the Muslims better. Kung tayo ang nasa situwasyon nila, I guess ganoon din ang gagawin natin. Like what Dr. Jose Rizal did against the Spaniards, you know. Tayo’y minamaliit, tayo’y kinakawawa ng mga Kastila, so the only recourse was to fight back. We know a bit of the Muslim history but I think many people can’t understand kung bakit mayroon giyera sa Mindanao."
After these big-budgetted films – Rizal, Muro-Ami and Bagong Buwan – people think that your standard has become so high that you won’t do any "small" films anymore.
"It’s not true. After Rizal, I did ‘small-budget’ action films, Warfreak being one of them. At ganoon din after I did Muro-Ami. Business as usual, sabi nga nila."
Are you and direk Marilou in a package deal?
"Hindi. But how I wish that everytime Marilou does a movie ay ako pa rin ang kunin niyang artista. Sana ako pa rin, ha, direk?"