Direk Dondon Santos: A fascination with Northern Lights

MANILA, Philippines - The director who megged Noy (a Coco Martin starrer) and Dalaw (a Kris Aquino horror film) is not one who easily enjoys talking about his project.

He has logged more than 20 years in showbiz directing films and teleseryes and this probably helped him judge potential stories that will connect with audiences.

He relates: “Three years ago, I went to Alaska and from there, I toyed with the idea of a film on a father-son relationship. I thought it would make a good project. Since I know the background of Piolo Pascual and his son Iñigo, I thought he might as well play the lead role in this film. So, I sat with him, discussed the story and he was so touched by the storyline that he immediately said yes.”

On the other hand, there is no escaping the fact that he was obsessed not just with the story but with the natural phenomenon called Northern Lights (also known as Aurora Borealis) which to many people hold not just scientific significance but personal and spiritual ones as well.

(Northern Lights, according to a reference, occur when electrically charged particles from the sun zoom into Earth’s atmosphere. The phenomenon is most commonly witnessed during fall and winter months at high-latitude locales, including Alaska and Northern Canada.

(An Eskimo legend says there is a land of giants living in the far north and whenever they are out with their torches to spear fish, they brighten the sky. Another legend tied with Northern Lights is that they are actually torches in the hands of their Ancestor Spirits, lighting the way for the souls of those who have just died, to lead them to the hereafter.)

For this reason, direk Dondon took a lot of establishing shots in Alaska to capture the mystical Northern Lights as a natural backdrop of the story of the film. “I can relate to this personally because I have a brother who used to live in Norway and was always fascinated by the Northern Lights. He has moved on already but I cannot forget his fascination with this cluster of lights in the skies.”

Direk Dondon listens intently to Piolo how he relates to the Northern Lights. When he reacts, it is as though he is sharing the same life-changing experience.

Piolo opines: “Watching the Northern Lights is an enlightening experience. It gives us a thoroughly encompassing idea how vast the universe is and how small we are compared to the spectacle it creates. When one goes to see the Northern Lights, I feel it is also an occasion to love your fellowmen and learn how to forgive and be forgiven. I can say it is a magical moment watching it and indeed it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. To fully enjoy it, you have to bring someone you can relate to. For sure, it will change your life.”

In this presscon, direk Dondon seems relaxed just listening to what members of the cast went through filming Northern Lights: A Journey to Love in Alaska and New Zealand.

But on his own, he sees Northern Lights as a natural component of the story of the film. “I really saw to it that this natural phenomenon is right into the milieu on which the story is set. A father (played by Piolo) looks forward to seeing his son (Raikko Mateo) and how they are transformed with new love interest coming in with the Northern Lights in the background. I believe we have a good film we can be proud of.”

The director finds the leading lady (Yen Santos) and the child actor both very raw and that allows him great leeway to work on spontaneous character build up.  “It is always rewarding working with real people not yet affected by stardom. You can help shape their characters the way you want it and without them having a compartmentalized idea of how to deal with their roles. Of course, their very distinct appearance helped a lot.”

Piolo admits working with direk Dondon was always fruitful. “As a matter of fact, it was a breeze. He is very collaborative and our initial concept grew in scope and substance until we were able to find the common ground on which to find the real magic of the story.”

   The Northern Lights: A Journey to Love released by Star Cinema is now showing in theaters.