Direk Louie turns Ai-Ai from comic to dramatic

When direk Louie Ignacio thought of doing Area for Baby Go’s BG Productions International, he had no other choice for the role of casa (a prostitution den) owner-manager but Ai-Ai delas Alas. Why a comedienne for a serious, heavy-drama role?

“Bagay na bagay sa kanya ang role,” Louie told Funfare. “I really pushed for her, I begged her, talagang nag-makaawa ako sa kanya. Na-challenge ako to bring out her dramatic side. There’s a place in Pampanga called Area where aging prostitutes continue with their business. My writer, Robby Tantingco, and I went around the place for more than a month and we talked to a former prostitute now running three dens. The women there were aging like her, they are called mga laos na sa field, but still at it. Nakita namin kung ano ang mga activities sa loob. Our film is a product of thorough research and not of imagination.”

After the airing of Sunday Pinasaya, her noontime show on GMA, Ai-Ai would go to Area to see for herself what’s going on there. She mingled with the prostitutes and interviewed them, and patterned her acting after the life of an old prostitute.

Louie with Ai-Ai and Allen.

“You will be surprised by Ai-Ai’s performance,” assured Louie who made Ai-Ai the comedienne disappear into the character, as credible a drama actress as she was in Ronda, her first indie starrer in which she plays a roving policewoman. “Ai-Ai would come to the set in character, very focused. I am very happy with her performance, very restrained, and there’s not a trace of her being a comedienne. In some scenes, Ai-Ai makes you laugh but she’s not cracking a joke.”

The idea for Area came from Ferdy Lapuz (producer of indie films and this corner’s contributor), a native of Pampanga, who had broached the project to a few directors but only Louie took it.

“I was attracted by the story which is very disturbing and thought-provoking,” said Louie. “It mirrors the life of people who use their bodies in exchange for an electric fan, cans of sardines and a little money to survive. It’s a grim reality that we must face.”

Graded “A” by the Cinema Evaluation Board (CEB) and the official selection to the A-List Film Festival Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in Estonia, Area won the Special Jury Prize for Direction at the recent World Premiere Film festival under the ASEAN Skies Section. Having made a name as TV director (Sunday Pinasaya, Sarap Diva, etc.), Louie ventured first into doing mainstream movies (Pangarap Kong Ibigin Ka with Regine Velasquez and Christopher de Leon, Love Struck and Annie B. remake with Jolina Magdangal) before shifting to doing indies.

His indie “debut,” Asintado, got mixed reviews at the 2014 Cinemalaya and harvested awards at the International Film Festival Manhattan for the actors (Aiko Melendez Best Actress in London and Jake Vargas Best Actor in Houston), a first-timer luck repeated by his second indie, Child Haus (about cancer-stricken children) which won Best Children Film at the 14th Dhaka International Film Festival in Bangladesh (and is slated to be featured in the Children Section of the 22nd Kolkata International Film Festival in India this month). Louie’s third indie, Laut, got Special Mention honors for Jury Prize at the 36th Fantasporto International Film Festival in Portugal where lead actress Barbie Forteza won Best Actress and Special Jury Prize for Direction at the World Premiere Film Festival under the ASEAN Skies Section and an Honorable Mention for Best Feature Film at the All Lights India International Film Festival.

While his mainstream movies looked more like, as Louie put it, “MTV ang dating, very commercial,” his indie work is socially relevant.

“I want to do movies which mirror reality,” said Louie, “just like the movies of my idols such as Lino Brocka, Ishmael Bernal, Peque Gallaga, Joel Lamangan. Lahat ng movies nila pinanonood ko. I’m happy doing indies because they give me freedom to choose the material. I’m thankful to Baby Go for trusting me. She produced my first three indies. Gawa siya nang gawa ng movies; she really takes risks. So kami namang mga directors n’ya, we make sure that she will be proud of our work.”

Louie is all praises for Allen Dizon who plays a pimp and Ai-Ai’s son Sancho delas Alas a young pimp under Allen.

“For a newcomer, Sancho did very well; mahusay umarte just like his mom. Allen’s role was based on a real person who owns a casa. The character is a good provider, a good son who loves his family dearly, strict with his girls but treats them nicely. Allen used his expressive eyes in his performance; his acting came out raw and effortless.”

The cast includes Kapampangan actors Cecille Yumul, Francisco Guinto, Bambalito Lacap and Eufrocina Peña.

“Those playing Area girls were all ‘game,’ walang pakialam…Sue Prado, Sarah Brakensiek, Tabs Sumulong and Ireen Cervantes.”

Opening nationwide on Wednesday, Nov. 9, Area will have a special showing at the Robinsons Place in Balibago, Pampanga, near Area.

“We are inviting the women of Area,” said Louie. “The film is a tribute to them.”

1969 Miss Universe Gloria Diaz.

Misses U beauties on the pageant’s return to Manila

All systems go for the mounting of the Miss Universe pageant in Manila on Jan. 30, 2017 the third time over (first was in 1974 won by the late Amparo Muñoz of Spain and the second was in 1994 won by India’s Sushmita Sen).

Funfare asked what the homegrown Misses U beauties have to say.

• Gloria Diaz, Miss U 1969: Actually, I don’t know for sure. I am not even sure we can afford it or rather if we should afford it. According to several people, it will be all private money. Wish that together with the pageant also some new MRT and LRT trains. Or something which many people will benefit from. I am allowed to dream, no!

1969 Miss Universe Gloria Diaz (with her good friend, Thailand’s first Miss Universe [1965] Apasra Hongsakula, during a recent visit to Bangkok)…1973 Miss Universe Margie Moran…and 2013 Miss Universe third runner-up Ariella Arida.

• Margie Moran, Miss U 1973: It’s good for a short-term tourism marketing exposure. Our cities and tourism venues will be exposed to millions of viewers. It will also be a fitting homecoming for Pia (Wurtzbach) when she passes on the title.

• Ariella Arida, Miss U 2013 third runner-up: As a Filipino, I am very happy that the pageant will be held here. After two decades, the pageant fans will witness this historical event right at home. Of course, it will also boost tourism in our country. I can’t wait for everyone to see how beautiful our country is. As a friend, I am very happy that Pia will crown her successor here. It’s a dream to bring the pageant here.

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. You may also send your questions to [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on www.twitter/therealrickylo.)