A new challenge for Bistek

After The Ping Lacson Story in December 2000, Quezon City Vice Mayor Herbert Bautista returns to the big screen as Ryan Agoncillo’s sidekick in Umaaraw, Umuulan, a digital movie produced by Heaven’s Best Entertainment, Inc., the new production outfit of the Bautista siblings, Herbert, Hero and Harlene.

Umaaraw, Umuulan offers several firsts for Herbert who has spent over half of his life romancing the klieg lights without neglecting his public duty.

"This is the first time I will portray a deaf-mute," Herbert says, "The story is told from my point of view. Mahirap but I did it. We hired a sign language teacher to help me and we will be using subtitles."

As Ryan’s childhood friend in the movie, Herbert’s character witnessed Ryan’s transformation from an inspired young man in-love who got jilted to a weird, blessed character.

"We can easily relate to Ryan’s role," Herbert says. "Yun bang you hoped, you dreamed, only to be frustrated because love hurts. This is more a drama and it’s a weird film. Towards the end, we expose the truth behind Ryan’s hallucinations; that everything is just a figment of his imagination. This was the last script or idea director Luigi Santiago wanted to work on before he was shot."

Heaven’s Best Entertainment didn’t buy the rights of the story. Luigi’s family allowed the film outfit to use it and a certain percentage of the proceeds will go to a foundation.

How was it facing the camera again after four years?

"I am programming a lot of things," Herbert replies. "I didn’t have a movie from 2001 to 2005 but I had Mary D’Potter and Klasmeyts on ABS-CBN. I will have a new show soon, still on ABS-CBN, entitled Super Inggo where I’ll portray my first mature role as a superhero. I’ll play father to Sam Concepcion. But that’s another story."

Umaaraw, Umuulan also marks Herbert’s first venture as a producer. Is he ready for it?

"Actually, that makes my work double taxing because I’m producing and acting in the movie," he relates. "I remember what my ninong Ronnie (Poe) told me. He said, Erap produced his movies to make money. When Dolphy was down in the ’60s, FPJ also advised him to produce his own movies so he’d have creative control. If the formula worked for those people, I wonder if it will work for me, too. So I broached the idea to Harlene and Hero. We prepared the budget. Umaaraw, Umuulan is our first family project. Digital film muna. Our resources are not enough to make a commercial film."

Aside from the initial budget, the siblings added an astounding sum for post-production and promotional expenses.

"I withdrew my savings in the bank including my talent fee for Mary D’Potter and Klasmeyts, which I intently set aside for the rainy days," Herbert laughs. "Which is why I want to make sure that we have a smooth ride on our playdates. We’re only a digital film and if it will be shown against a foreign giant, talo. It’s a family picture, you know. Only our family will watch the movie. Joke, joke, joke!."

Umaaraw, Umuulan is now shown exclusively at SM Digital Cinemas nationwide. If Umaaraw, Umuulan makes good at the box-office, is a follow-up movie in the offing?

"I told Harlene if ever we will produce again, we have to do a comedy," Herbert says. "Let’s face it, times are hard and people don’t want to think anymore. They want to laugh and to escape. I already have my next project in mind, a comedy featuring the sidekicks like Empoy, Jeffrey Tam, Gene Padilla and the new breed of sidekicks. As for Umaaraw, Umuulan, if it makes money, thank you, Lord. If not, it’s a lesson learned."