Brillante Mendoza: ‘‘Why ‘Thy Womb’ should be in your MMFF list’

CEBU, Philippines - Still debating with yourself which Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) entries are worthy to spend your hard-earned money on?

Well, only one director from all eight December 2012 offerings took the time to visit Cebu and personally promote his ‘labor of love’ here, with the help of SM Cinema which mounted a special exhibit on his film at SM Consolacion. With no major movie outfit backing him up, celebrated filmmaker Brillante Mendoza took it upon himself to spread word on Thy Womb after it earned a last-minute MMFF slot.

Starring Nora Aunor, Bembol Roco, Lovi Poe, and Mercedes Cabral, Thy Womb reaped awards in the Venice International Film Festival. The director and his lead actress, none other than the Superstar, also bagged the best director and best actress awards respectively at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

Set on the islands of Tawi-Tawi, Mindanao, Thy Womb follows a Badjao midwife as she copes with her own infertility. It’s the sole art film among all the tried-and-tested commercial formulas. As one movie reviewer put it, “Thy Womb is not the flick that the holiday crowd heads out to see.” But here, let director Brillante convince you otherwise!

How much time did you spend in Tawi-Tawi?

We started research in Tawi-Tawi December of last year, and filming began last April. I literally lived with the Badjaos to get to know the people and their culture, which play a great part in the film. It was a very humbling experience. My first impression when I set foot in Tawi-Tawi was, ‘What an amazing island!’ It became more impressive once I got to know the people. They are an opposite of the Mindanao stereotype — they are warm, calm and not aggressive. They have a simple life; very pure. So I thought, I would love to capture this on film and show it to Filipinos who know nothing of this way of life. You’ll be proud as a Filipino, because that was the same feeling I had. What a rich culture we have!

How was your experience directing Nora Aunor?

Initially, there was a lot of resistance from my group. Of course, she had past stories with other directors that were not easy to erase. For me, I don’t fully believe in something unless I experience it first-hand. With Ate Guy, I think it’s just a matter of trusting one another and being sincere. Lay your cards on the table. I told her it was going to be a difficult shoot. It won’t be the usual, where the script is specific and everything you need would be there. That we could only afford to pay her this much, and that I would need her for 15 days straight. Fortunately, when I showed her our short script, she liked it and TV5 approved of the project.

First we heard, Thy Womb didn’t make the MMFF cut. The next thing, it was among the eight entries. What happened?

When we applied for MMFF, the film was already finished. Normally, MMFF would read the script first. I submitted a very thin script, so they called me up. They said, ‘You did not submit a script.’ I told them that was already my script. They thought it was just a director’s synopsis. It’s not detailed, kasi hindi masalita yung film. They did not accept it, but I’m not sure for what reason. Maybe we didn’t meet their requirements. Later on, they called me again because one entry backed out. We were next in line, so here we are.

Why do you think it made such an impact abroad?

Maybe it was the purity and simplicity of the characters, plus the cultural aspect of the film. The look is very colorful.

Why is Thy Womb a must-see for Filipinos?

This will serve as a discovery of our sense of identity. We Filipinos, when one is a Muslim or a Christian, we tend to identify ourselves either as that, a Muslim or a Christian. We don’t have that shared sense of identity. Watching this film, you will feel proud that at this time and age of technology, there are still people who are so pure and simple. There are still people living contently without all the things that are necessities for most, and that they are capable of selfless sacrifice. 

Do you accept the fact that while Thy Womb’s international accolades are enough proof that you have a masterpiece, the Filipino movie-going trend will still have the masses surely flocking to the familiar franchises and these will thus emerge the top-grossers?

Libre naman ang mangarap. But I know the public will more often than not go for entertainment. And there are many entries that offer that. Sa akin naman, I’m just offering an alternative. If they want, they can watch those with entertainment values first, then they can watch our film. More than the awards, if audiences appreciate the film, my goal is more than fulfilled.  (FREEMAN)