2 Kristoffers topbilled in Oros

MANILA, Philippines - Kapuso Kristoffer Martin will shock his fans a bit with his turn in the indie film Oros which is also, like Posas and REquieme!, an entry in the 2012 Cinemalaya Film Festival. He plays the brother of Kristoffer King and together, they stage a prolonged wake to make money.

“It’s a role that I didn’t expect to play on TV,” admitted Kristoffer M. as Abet. Co-star Kristoffer K.(as Makoy) is a familiar actor in indie films. “He guided me throughout the shoot,” added Kristoffer M.

The story revolves around what is described as a decadent world where even death becomes a provider, with a cadaver serving as license for holding a sakla operation (an illegal gambling) in wakes. In Oros, a funeral parlor sells an unidentified body to Makoy, a kasero in a saklaan who, along with reluctant brother Abet, stages a three-week-long wake holding the illegal saklaan. The sakla personnel deals with everyone involved, including an impoverished homeowner as they agree upon a fictional story which will “legitimize” the wake.

The movie is co-written by Obet Villena and Paul Sta. Ana who also directed it. Sta. Ana graduated from Ateneo de Manila University with a degree in Philosophy with a Dean’s Award for the Arts. He wrote, co-directed and produced several videos and TV specials which received recognition from the CCP and Golden Dove Awards. He won a Best Screenplay Award for Mayohan (Maytime) in the 2010 Cinemalaya Independent Film festival and was nominated also fro Best Screenplay by the Young Critics Circle and the Gawad Urian for Bisperas (Tresspassers) this year.