Fil-Am director retells father’s story in a limited TV series

Creatives, along with professionals, converge at the annual American Film Market to present and pitch new films and projects. Among them is Fil-Am director Gerard Pizarro, who, according to his team, will unveil the limited series for TV, Mt. Samat, during the event, held from Oct. 31 to Nov. 5 in Sta. Monica, California.

Given its title, a typical Filipino may think that it’s about the human spirit shown by American and Filipino soldiers during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines since the mountain houses the national shrine of valor.

Yes, the narrative will be set against that particular history as some of its backdrops, but the TV series is “a sweeping drama of an orphan who rose to riches and wealth amidst time-worn wars and generational family feuds,” as the recent virtual presscon for Mt. Samat offered to media friends.

“Many at this time,” answered Gerard, who is also a lawyer, when asked about hats he will be wearing for the project. “I will direct the pilot ‘coz we envision this as a TV series.” Aside from that, he is also co-producing it and writing the script. The succeeding episodes will be helmed by Fil-Am directors whom he and his team have known, and who share the same vision, if one may add.

What makes this endeavor different from his previous directorial outings, such as in the feature film Blood on Canvas and short Emancipatus Emma, is that he will take on the challenge of telling the story of his father Tony Deleon Pizarro, based on the latter’s biographical novel, The Man Behind the Uniform. Its book reading will be held on Oct. 28 at the Pizarro Estate, Rancho Santa Fe, California.

“My father Tony migrated to the United States in 1959 by way of US Navy… He is originally from Orion, Bataan,” shared Gerard. “The story begins in Orion, Bataan, and really starts in 1941. He was born in 1940, and it really hit me because that was when the Japanese invaded the Philippines and overran Bataan.”

This will take a trip down memory lane to the early life of Tony and capture the social and political climate at that particular time.

An aspect of which is when Tony wanted to get the permission letter from his father, Bernardo, to enter the US Navy. The protagonist was a minor then.

“So, he could go up to Cavite City and join the US Navy,” said Gerard. “My grandfather was trying to share something that he had harbored since the war.”

Whatever it is, although some may already have an idea about it, will be told and revealed in the TV series.

Back to Tony’s decision to find greener pastures, Mt. Samat will provide details about it, such as his experience of getting on the ship USNS Barrett, the feelings of anxiety and excitement about what the future had for him, kissing the ground upon reaching the Naval Air Station Treasure Island, and getting along with fellow American sailors.

The group interview revealed that the ship crossed the Pacific and passed by Guam, Hawaii and California and reached the Treasure Island as its destination. From there, his dad and other Filipino seaman recruits were taken to a bus to San Diego.

“There was a time when my father thought he could be more than a steward, more than a coffee boy, and he pleaded with the US Navy captain that ‘I’m more than a coffee boy,’” said the filmmaker. “At that time, which is also new to me, Filipinos could only be stewards in the US Navy. That was the only rank for Filipinos.”

With perseverance, Tony graduated from being a steward to a disbursing clerk and securing new US Naval officer positions like two-star master chief petty officer and chief warrant officer 4.

Since the TV series is about the life and times of Tony, his romance with and love for Priscila, a graduate of University of Sto. Tomas, will also be included as well as his success story.

Regarding the actors who will be tapped to play such roles as Tony and Priscila, the Mt. Samat team said they should speak Tagalog and have the accent. The cast is a combination of Filipino and American reliable and famous talents. Scenes will be shot in Bataan.

Timeline-wise, the narrative encompasses the periods of 1941 until the end of World War II, 1961, the Vietnam War, and 1991.

As for its genre, Mt. Samat is a light drama, Filipino-American family saga.