Some of the photos may be jolting to those (Baby Boomers especially) who grew up during those politically turbulent times, maybe not actually but vicariously through newspaper accounts flashed on the front pages.
Several issues ago, Funfare put out a photo of Cesar Montano (as Chavit) and Tirso Cruz III (as Bingbong Crisologo, now a preacher) in that tension-filled encounter, hands ready to pull the triggers of their guns. It was a scene reminiscent of the classic duel in High Noon. That "moment in history" was declared Photo of the Year.
One of the photos in the bunch Donna sent Funfare shows Eddie Garcia (as Ilocos Congressman Floro Crisologo, Bingbong’s father) being killed a few feet away from the altar of a church in Vigan just when he was about to take communion.
Another photo shows Cesar/Chavit with his brother (played by Ricardo Cepeda), firing away at a group of assassins who got the older Singson but not Chavit. "Chavit shed tears when the scene was shot," said Donna. "Idol niya ang brother niya; he cuddled him as his ‘idol’ breathed his last."
The movie is so big in scope and requires a big budget that Donna and Carlo (who’s the scriptwriter and director) are comparing it to Rizal, Cesar’s landmark starrer. Set in the explosive ’60s when warlords ruled the country, the movie depicts Chavit as a survivor believed by his followers to possess an agimat (amulet). For how else could he have escaped unscathed the following incidents (some of them, anyway): A grenade launcher missed him by an inch; two grass-cutter grenades killed 11 and wounded hundreds but only grazed the elbow of Chavit; and a shootout between him, shooting away with his .45 pistol by his lonesome the 100-strong private army of his enemy, plus three truck-loads of soldiers, at a market in Sto. Domingo (Ilocos Sur), emerging from the hail of bullets with nary a scratch.
According to Donna, the Chavit movie is one of Golden Lions’ most challenging projects.
"We have to recreate the ’60s in most of the scenes," said Donna.
"The incidents in the movie happened more than 30 years ago and a lot of changes have taken place since then. Iba na ang fashion styles ngayon; even the buildings are different now."
For one scene, Donna had to look for a car circa the ’60s to make everything as authentic as possible.
"This is even harder to make than any of our ‘massacre’ movies," she added.
Won’t the movie look like fiction?
"It’s based on real-life incidents," said Donna. "You know very well that real life can be stranger than fiction."
With this movie, according to Donna, Chavit hopes to stage his own "coup" in the movie industry and contribute his share in pumping much-needed blood into it.
"The Chavit project is a movie coup," said Donna. "A coup like no other."
(E-mail reactions at rickylo@phil-star.net.ph)