CAPTIVE is a state of being confined to a space from
which it is difficult to escape.I could never imagine myself being in this
state and I can say that surviving from it would be a miracle. Aside from the
fact that I am claustrophobic, I can hardly breathe in a confined area
especially if there is no way out. But some people I know are more energetic
and their adrenaline shoots-up in situations like these. They can think and
move faster for their survival and come up with so many possible choices in
their minds in order to escape. But what if "Even Choice Is Not An
Option?"
CAPTIVE is a film by 2009 Cannes Film Festival
Best Director winner, Brillante Ma Mendoza. The film is adapted from the Dos
Palmas kidnapping incident of two US missionaries by the Abu Sayyaf in 2001.
Recently, I, together with other co-bloggers, had a
chance to talk to Brillante Ma Mendoza, the director of CAPTIVE and one of
the country's most respected film
makers. I didn't even think twice when I was invited and I cancelled all my
meetings for this once in a lifetime chance. The CAPTIVE Bloggers Conference
with Director Mendoza was held at Patio Carlito Restaurant, Quezon City around
11:30AM.
From the time he started to talk, we learned so many
things not only about the movie but mostly about the director himself. The
movie has 200 members including the 40 actors/actresses like Isabelle Huppert,
Ronnie Lazaro, Angel Aquino, Sid Lucero, Raymond Bagatsing, Rustica Carpio,
Maria Isabel Lopez, Mercedes Cabral, Kathy Mulville, and Timothy Mabalot. It
took 25 back-breaking days to simulate the kidnapping and the experience of
being held captive from resort to city to boat ride and up to the forest. But
the research and post-production (which was mostly done in France) took a year
to finish, hiking the total production cost to an estimated 60 million pesos.
Director Mendoza's crew did not actually shoot the
film in Basilan, Lamitan, Palawan or any other part of Mindanao for security
reasons. Instead, they used the military
camp in Tanay, Rizal, the jungle of Zambales, and the coastal and mountainous
province almost a hundred kilometers northeast of Metro Manila. The film also
showed some details of the ordeal like the actual childbirth of one of the
kidnap victims and a live snake eating a chicken. For the former, the
production crew had to search for a pregnant woman who was about to give birth
and for the latter, Mendoza recounted how long it took (Very LONG) to capture
the exact moment when the snake lunged for the chicken. The film also includes
a scene where Isabelle Huppert, a popular French actress who plays the role of
volunteer social worker Therese Burgoine, saw a Sarimanok (an omen of peace and
good fortune) while wandering in the forest.
Like any director, Brillante Ma Mendoza also
encountered a lot of challenges such as keeping true to the focus of the story,
handling a big production and directing a world-renowned, award-winning actress
like Isabelle Huppert (Best Actress, Cannes). He said, "Along the way, you
would become enlightened through the process".
Director Mendoza expects that CAPTIVE will change
the perspective of some people about Muslims, the military, and the government.
He is ready for criticisms and will not be surprised that some people will not
like this film at all. Nevertheless, Director Mendoza is passionate when it
comes to sharing his film, knowledge, and talent thru film viewing and
invitational talks. He also reiterates his undying enthusiasm for submitting
his works and joining international film festivals because these are venues for
interaction with legit and notable members of the film industry - from actors
to critics who are usually present on such events.
It is a great experience and honor to listen and
talk to Director Brillante Ma Mendoza, a film maker who is mostly unbiased in
making a film and depicts realism in his celluloid narratives. Mendoza is
undoubtedly a master of his craft and yet, he is admirably unselfish when it
comes to imparting his knowledge about film making. It is no wonder that he had
bagged major awards from international film festivals and I believe he will
continue to do so in the coming years. He is a true film ambassador of the Philippines,
the most brilliant in our present era.
To know more about the film CAPTIVE
,"Like" it HERE on Facebook. To request for a film viewing for
schools , just email brillante_ma@yahoo.com or visit
www.brilliantemamendoza.com. The regular showing of CAPTIVE in theaters is on
September 5, 2012.
