‘An actor is born’

Without blinking and with conviction, direk Gil M. Portes told the movie press during a recent lunch presscon at Limbaga 77 restaurant (Scout Limbaga near corner Tomas Morato Avenue, Quezon City) that the public will see a different Aljur Abrenica in T-Rex Entertainment Productions’ Hermano Puli, his latest starrer set for release on Sept. 21 which happens to be the 44th anniversary of Martial Law.

“I assure you that an actor is born in this movie,” said Gil (born in Pagbilao, Quezon), a province mate of Puli who is believed to be the first Filipino to fight the Spaniards in the name of religion.

The birth of Aljur as an actor is actually long overdue. Dubbed as “a wooden actor” because of his performance as the titular role in the TV remake of Machete, originally played with emotion by Cesar Montano, Aljur has been showing honed acting since he ended a year-long hiatus and going back home to GMA after resolving his rift with the network.

Check out Once Again, Aljur’s GMA soap starrer with Janine Gutierrez and you will see how much improved his acting is. A “new” Aljur also got good reviews for his performance in the indie Expressway, as an impulsive hitman in the “stylish crime thriller” screened at the Sinag Maynila Film Festival, and expected to do the same in Edsa, another indie directed by Alvin Yapan which will be shown at the World Premieres Film Festival June 29 to July 10.

As Gil predicted, Aljur is sure to make heads turn in Hermano Puli, subtitled Ang Hapis at Himagsikan ni…which chronicles the life of, according to Tempo’s Ronald Constantino, another Quezonian (from Unisan), “a forgotten hero.”

“I really worked hard for this movie,” confessed Aljur who got the role after two actors backed out when the project suffered “birth pains.”

Gil revealed that the first financier backed out, prompting him to pull out from the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) in December for which Hermano Puli was originally intended. (Instead, Gil plans to enter his other film, Moonlight Over Baler, a period romance-drama that took two years in the planning, which stars Aljur’s brother Vin who beat 10 other actors who auditioned for the role.)

“Not much was written about Hermano Puli so I really did a thorough research,” added Aljur.

Students will learn about Hermano Puli because, according to Gil, the movie will be promoted by the same group that promoted Heneral Luna (the widely-acclaimed film with John Arcilla in the title role) in schools.

“DAKILA, an NGO, will also help,” said Gil. “The film will be shown to youth leaders around the country. We plan to hold a symposium during the film’s screening.”

Meanwhile, we can learn more about Hermano Puli from a synopsis furnished the movie press by Enrique “Eric” Ramos who wrote the screenplay:
On Nov. 2, 1841, Apolinario de la Cruz, a 27-year-old religious leader from Lucban, better known as Hermano Puli, is arrested and turned over to Lieutenant Colonel Joaquin Juet (played by Markki Stroem), the vindictive new governor of Tayabas province (now Quezon).

During a summary trial the next day, he faces Juet and Padre Manuel Sancho (Menggie Cobbarubias), the indignant parish priest of Lucban.

The trial allows Hermano Puli and his inquisitors to examine his life, beginning in his formative years as a bright and pious child who aspires for the priesthood but learns that religious orders do not welcome native Filipinos — a crushing reflection of the social order in early 19th century Philippines.

At 18, he is a fully grown man who finds his calling as the charismatic leader of the Cofradia de San Jose, a religious brotherhood that preaches love and equality for all.

The Cofradia grows steadily in its four years, attracting followers from nearby towns and holding monthly Masses officiated by Padre Sancho himself.

Around 1835, Hermano Puli leaves for Manila to pursue deeper spiritual enlightenment. He works as an orderly at the San Juan de Dios Hospital which leads to his acceptance as a lay brother of the hospital’s own confraternity. Later, he is joined by Hermana Lina (Louise de los Reyes), a nubile devotee from Lucban who washes his laundry and tests his vow of celibacy.

As the Cofradia de San Jose continues to flourish, it begins to suffer persecution by church officials in Lucban. Hermano Puli turns to his ally, Don Domingo Roxas (Archie Adamos), a liberal-minded industrialist who helps him pursue official recognition by the authorities in Manila.

However, his efforts at appeasement eventually fail and the Cofradia is forced to flee Lucban. Hermano Puli leaves Manila and reunites with his followers in Laguna.

From there, he leads them in a protest march, gathering numbers along the way. Finally, they reach the hills of Isabang in Lucena where they build a religious commune six thousand strong. The governor, Don Joaquin Ortega (Kiko Matos), raids the commune with a ragtag battalion that is quickly overpowered by the Cofradia forces.

Infuriated by the defeat, the central government in Manila sends Juet and a strong army to crush the insurrection. As the commune moves the foot of Mount Banahaw, Hermano Puli proclaims that the apocalypse is at hand.

After that crash course in history, back to Ajur…

“As part of my research,” continued Aljur, “I visited the towns in Quezon where he lived. I talked to some of Hermano Puli’s surviving relatives (including the late directors Abbo and Uro de la Cruz) and I even walked for two hours on the trail where Hermano Puli walked. I had to lose weight, down to 135 lbs. I read the Bibliya. I tried to absorb even the smallest detail about Hermano Puli.”

And Gil added a juicy rejoinder.

“Because Hermano Puli was celibate, Aljur also refrained from having sex during the shoot of the movie.”

Winners all

Traslacion: Ang Paglalakad sa Altar ng Alanganin won Best Documentary Film at the Sogo International Film Festival in New York. The 66-minute docu was directed by Will Fredo, in photo (leftmost) with Liza Diño, received the award. In the same filmfest, director Elwood Perez (center, with Ronnie Liang) was given the Film Icon Visionary Award for his movie Esoterika: Manila. (Reported by Felix Manuel).

Meanwhile, Hamog won the Outstanding Artistic Achievement Award at the 19th Shanghai International Film Festival. Directed by Ralston Jover (in photo, rightmost, with Therese Malvar, star of the movie), Hamog is the story of four kids (a.k.a. mga batang hamog) who live in the streets. - (Reported by Celso de Guzman Caparas)

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