An April-September romance that works

In love as in war, all is fair. As age doesn’t matter, neither does matter age.

As they say, everybody loves a lover and it tickles people’s imagination no end if the lovers involved easily bridge the age gap between them. Eventually, osmosis takes over. The older partner draws youth from the younger partner who gains experience from the older partner. Love conquers all.                         

Lately in the news is Emmanuel Macron, the 39-year-old presidential aspirant in the May 7 election in France, who married his now 64-year-old drama teacher Brigitte Trogneux, descendant of a wealthy chocolate-producing family, whose daughter was Macron’s classmate. Their storybook romance is not unique. There are several other such “age doesn’t matter” romances among both local and international celebrities, to wit (ages deliberately not mentioned): Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher who have split up; Batangas Rep. Vilma Santos and Sen. Ralph Recto; Vic Sotto and Pauleen Luna; Freddie Aguilar and Jovie Albao; Liza Macuja and Fred Elizalde; Charo Santos and Cesar Concio; and Dr. Vicki Belo and Dr. Hayden Kho who are finally (finally!!!) getting married in Paris, their favorite city, in September.                                                            

And then there’s Angeli Bayani and fellow indie actor Ross Pesigan who met and matched on the set and started living together with Angeli’s eight-year-old son by her graphic-artist ex-lover. Their relationship is aptly described as “April-September” since Ross is only 23 and Angeli is 39.                                              

At the mini-presscon for Jodilerks dela Cruz, Employee of the Month, Carlo Francisco Manatad’s short film which is the only Asian entry out of more than 1,700 submissions that qualified for the 56th Cannes Filmfest, May 18 to 26 (the film will premiere in competition in the La Semaine de la Critique [International Critics’ Week], then oldest parallel section of the Festival de Cannes), the lovers were a fun to watch as they agreed to hug and pretend to be lovey-dovey while candidly answered questions 

Asked how long they have been living together, Angeli admitted, “Three years already. We click because we share many things, especially love for acting.”

In Jodilerks, Angeli plays the titular role as an attendant (same role Ross is playing) on her last day at a rundown gas station slated for closure. Although their paths have been crossing, they are working together only for the first time.

“Serendipitous” was how Ross (who is set to submit a thesis to qualify for graduation with a Theater Arts degree) described their meeting.

“I was in a play called Rabbit Hole at the Red Turnip in Makati and during the meet-and-greet, I sat alone drinking at a corner while people were having pictures with the stars of the cast,” narrated Ross.

Then, Angeli approached him, “Hi, I’m Angeli.” Ross smiled, “I’m Ross.”

Added Angeli, “I’m a theater actor so I know how it feels when nobody is talking to you, walang pumapansin sa’yo.”

They met again during the screening of Lav Diaz’s Norte: Hangganan ng Kasaysayan at MOA; Angeli was in the cast and Ross was there among the guests. After the movie, they went their separate ways to look for a place to get some snacks (since stores at MOA were already closed). As fate would have it, they both ended at the Tomato Café in UP, the favorite tambayan of students. They talked about the film and other things. Before they knew it, they had decided to live together. They clicked.

“That’s why I like them,” said Carlo. “They have rapport. Angeli is my one and only choice. I’ve seen her films, such as Ilo-Ilo and Norte. Most of them are drama, so I was wondering if she would do a black comedy. Why not, said Angeli.                                         

A genuine Waray (like director Chito Roño), Carlo was born on Oct. 4, 1987, in Tacloban City where he finished grade school and high school. To please his parents, he enrolled first in a business course and shifted to engineeering. Then, he followed his heart and studied film. An alumnus of the Asian Film Academy, Berlinale Talents Campus, the DocNet Campus Project, and La Fabrique Cinema de I’Institut francais, Carlo started as a film editor, so prolific that he has collaborated with numerous filmmakers on independent and studio films, receiving multiple local and international awards along the way from 2010 (for Dagim) to 2017 (I’m Drunk, I Love You).      

Soon, he ventured into directing short films, with four so far: Junilyn, Sandra, Fatima Marie Torres and the Space Invasion of Space Shuttle Pinas 25, and Jodilerks dela Cruz, with the first three screened in numerous international filmfests including Locarno, Clermont-Ferrand, Uppsala, Winterthur and Busan.

Fatima Maria Torres and the Invasion of Space Shuttle Pinas 25, written, edited and directed by Carlo won the Best Comedy in the 26th Annual Aspen Shortsfest in Colorado, USA. Carlo received a $2,500 cash prize.

  The jury’s citation says, “This down-to-earth science fiction love story mixed the charms of many genres to create something wholly original. We see the handwriting of a unique emerging cinematic voice in this surprising film about people who are not surprised by anything.”

  Set during the launch of the first space shuttle of the Philippines, the 18-minute film tells the story of an ordinary old couple living in the suburbs who attempts to go about their normal daily life during this very abnormal and strange day.

Said lawyer Joji Alonso, whose Quantum Films is co-producing Jodilerks (with Plan C and AAND), “Carlo has built a following on the independent short-film circuit for his original vision, producing inventive, occasionally absurd, genre-defying films that reveal the light and dark sides of life in his native Philippines. We are thrilled to support him in his films, and to be part of a wave of Filipino films making their way to Cannes in order to raise awareness of Filipino cinema and especially our younger generation of filmmakers.”

Carlo is now preparing for his first full-length project titled Diri Maupay Nga Panahon (A Wrong Season) with an all-Waray dialogue recalling the Yolanda tragedy that hit his beloved Tacloban.

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