Chris Ad Castillo on his own now

Straight from the wake of Celso Ad Castillo last November, we started thinking of how his eldest son, writer filmmaker Christopher Ad Castillo would deal with expectations that he carry on his dad’s legacy. What a tall task, we thought. On Dec. 7, when the hysteria had died down, we wrote on Live Feed:

“With his cast all set, Christopher Ad Castillo is more than ready to commence filming in Baguio City shortly after he returns to the country on March…It looks like it is indeed all systems go for The Diplomat Hotel.”

Today, the pressure must have doubled, we continue thinking, after Diplomat was chosen among 10 finalists, New Breed category, 2013 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival and Competition opening July 26. We get hold of Chris for his thoughts via e-mail from California where he had been based the past few years.

When his dad died last year, he also left behind a collection of unfinished projects Chris has been asked to take over. Liz Alindogan and Maribel Lopez who produced The Diary of Vietnam Rose are raising funds to complete it. “The footage is amazing,” says Chris. “There’s a lot of blood, sweat and tears in that film and an experience of a lifetime. That was my father’s Apocalypse Now drama in terms of its behind the scenes.”

As the eldest of the director known for an irregular approach to moviemaking, Chris experienced everything there was to learn from his genius of a father. Vilma Santos was a constant in their lives, what with Pagputi ng Uwak, Pagitim ng Tagak which took more than a year to finish and left producer/actress Ate Vi nearly bankrupt, and Burlesk Queen, Vi’s ultimate blockbuster. Strangely, Celso never got to direct Nora Aunor, Vilma’s screen rival, although he had the story of Ang Lalaking Nangarap Maging Nora Aunor constantly in his mind. He directed Susan Roces in the horror film Patayin Mo sa Sindak si Barbara, and husband Fernando Poe Jr. in several films including Asedillo, the action king’s only film where he agreed to die. His wet look introduced in Ang Pinakamagandang Hayop sa Balat ng Lupa resulted in numerous clones after Gloria Diaz and Elizabeth Oropesa demonstrated how it was sexier not to bare.

Chris has committed to do the Nora film as his gift to his dad when done. Another film to finish is Bahay Ng Lagim. Chris will also release after Cinemalaya the unexpurgated autobiography of Celso Kid, the Messiah, names he had given himself. Chris shares, “The book is very accurate… My father was never normal and his mind just worked differently than all of us. He lived and breathed film and within that world, he was happiest…”

Producers of The Diplomat Hotel are lawyer Joji Alonso of Quantum Films who also acts as creative consultant, and Alemberg Ang as supervising producer. Chris wrote the script some eight years ago, never satisfied with it. He was waiting for the proper time for it and now seems to be that time. We recall him telling us in December how the story had been brewing in his head ever since he and his dad went to The Diplomat many decades ago. The film is set in the actual haunted house in Baguio where many of the occurrences in the film are said to happen.

Art Acuña is lead Gretchen Barretto’s cameraman with a past they bring to the hotel. “As actor, Art is amazing and selfless. He gave his total dedication to my film I will never forget.” Mon Confiado plays the documentary subject of the crew, who lost 40 pounds to look like someone who has been through a lot of terror.

We see Joel Torre, the cult leader in the hotel’s old days in flashbacks and discover his influence on the place. Chris relates, “I love watching his process of getting ready to do a scene which all actors should learn.” Playing “a voice and a memory” also from the hotel’s haunted past is Sue Prado whom Chris first saw in Himpapawid. “I just fell in love with her in that film. She is a pure uninhibited talent. She just makes it look so easy like she was born into acting.”

Nico Antonio plays the sound guy, eager and keen to get into character. “He’s very determined in his craft and it shows with his Best Actor nomination for Posas.” Sarah Gaugler is singer Anna of the popular band Turbo Goth. “Her look is really what Anna is all about.” Brooke Chantelle plays Art’s daughter. “I found her in a YouTube video and I was just taken by her freshness and that’s what I wanted for the role. She’s going to go very far in her career.”

As for Gretchen, “I was an actor at the same time she was still making a name for herself and even then, she stood out amongst her peers, not just in terms of beauty but also in terms of talent. She had depth even at a very young age,” direk Chris recalls. “But I wanted to surround her with the best. It’s a very difficult script with very difficult characters with looks that I have envisioned. It’s not for everyone both mentally and physically. You have to be able to change your look, the way you talk. It’s not pedestrian acting.”

Gretchen turned down the offer first, afraid to shoot in a notoriously haunted place, but when told to read the script first, she did. The next day, she told Tony Boy Cojuangco she was doing the film.

After the festival, Chris goes back to L.A. to sell his house to enable him to be based in the Philippines.

We are happy for this turn of events for Chris, happier if he wins in the Cinemalaya. While we recognize the genius of Celso Kid, we know that his son Chris brings in something dad didn’t have — discipline. Celso operated on the sheer inspiration of the moment. He would sit down drinking beer with his staff and crew, telling them the story of the following day’s shoot. That was his script. He would awaken everyone in the middle of the night, stimulated by a sequence in his head he just had to shoot. We have been in too many of his locations to be stimulated as well as disturbed.

Chris is more organized: He has a written script, a shooting schedule to be followed. We have yet to watch his film, go to his set and see him work, but we know he also has running in his veins some of the weirdness and inventiveness the Kid had. And we also know that he is very much his own person.

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