NEVER AS GOOD AS THE FIRST TIME

Brocka, Bernal and De Leon were all starry-eyed, idealistic twentysomethings when they first forayed into mainstream Philippine cinema – breaking ground and casting spells as they fought a dictatorship and forged their vision of a Filipino identity on celluloid. They were once hailed as their time’s Bright Young Things, beacons of light and hope in what was considered to be a dark and desolate age.

Now, the times have changed, the medium has evolved, and the zeitgeist has become aware of itself. A different setting has been carved for different stories. A distinct kind of audience is watching and listening. A new breed of filmmakers has come of age.

They are Lyle Sacris(director), Quark Henares (producer), Ramon de Veyra (writer), Lyndon Santos (writer), Erwin Romulo (writer and sound designer) and Jason Tan (editor). All twentysomething, all raised on Sesame Street, all born during the hushed days of martial law, all young and Filipino.

They have produced a film aptly called First Time, a sexy trilogy featuring the debut of the Viva Hot Babes, and through this project they handle both the new techniques and devices that today’s film technology has to offer, while grappling with old issues that Filipino filmmakers have faced for many generations.

They are said to be the future of Philippine cinema, the purveyors of the thoughts and feelings of today’s youth, the hope that stories of and about us will continue to be told through the magic of the Seventh Art.

Ladies and gentlemen, a round of applause for these Bright Young Things.

You’re a bunch of film freaks breaking into mainstream cinema, with no less than Viva Films. How did this all happen?

QUARK HENARES: We wanted to do an anthology using the First Time theme, while Viva wanted a launching vehicle for the Hot Babes. It grew into this project.

What do you really mean here by "first time"?

LYLE SACRIS: It’s about a young person’s first experience. It’s not just losing your virginity per se, but the very moment of sexual awakening.

Was it difficult to put this all together?

LYLE: Yes, you can say that. I had to shell out my own money to make this all happen.

QUARK: Those who worked on this project, from Lyle to the gaffers to the cinematographers to the writers, really belived in the project. One of our cinematographers was working for less than one day’s salary for commercials for the entire movie. A lot of the people worked for very little too, and were hanging around the set even when the job was over just to show their support.

Tell us about this trilogy.

QUARK: It’s three different stories by three different writers, three different cinematographers. We wanted very distinct styles for each episode. Episodes one and three are comedies, but episode two is a thriller. They are all different takes on the "first time."

What was the most difficult part about directing this movie?

LYLE: Well, it was the fact that it was a launching movie for first-time actresses. You realize that half of the film is about casting, especially because some of the characters were a bit complicated. And then there were last minute instructions to change roles or change actors.

And what was the most difficult part as a producer?

QUARK: It was an uphill battle. First, there was censorship. I have nothing against censorship – if there weren’t censorship people would just keep pushing it until it’s really pornography. But I think there’s something really wrong with the MTRCB guidelines. They’re too literal. Take Y Tu Mama Tambien or Schindler’s List, for example. You can’t take a good scene out of context and just cut it out. They took a crucial scene out of Episode 2, even though the sex was not titillating, but was actually disturbing, discomforting, and central to the story. Then, the movie was cut down to about an hour and 30 minutes, from about two hours, just so we could fit it into the prescribed number of reels. Many scenes had to be taken out. After that I felt that people are going to miss out on something really different. That’s what films can do, after all – offer something that’s different, make people see what they’ve never seen before.

LYLE: The sex scenes are there to support the story, they’re not the be-all and end-all of the film.

Editing is called film’s third incarnation, after the script and production. What was the editing like?

LYLE: I’m actually trained as an editor, so I was supposed to be the editor but they fired me. They didn’t want to stress me out. I wanted to work with an editor na may gigil pa sa trabaho. I chose Jason, who was an associate editor, because he had that fire in the belly.

JASON TAN: We own a movie theater in Butuan, where I grew up. I would spend all my time in the projection room watching movies. I’m really a movie fan. Anyway, the first challenge in the editing was to conceal flaws in acting. And then when we were ordered to cut the film down that was really hard.

You’re this bunch of young guys crafting a sexy movie. It’s almost like a wet dream come true. What can you say against allegations of chauvinism or exploitation?

LYLE: I try to maintain a balance. I don’t want to be chauvinistic and I try to incorporate a woman’s point of view. Here, it’s the men who are the objects of desire, not the women.

LYNDON SANTOS: I tried to give desire a new face; it’s not just a guy thing. Women can play with men too.

How did you handle the sex scenes?

LYLE: People might think it’s a lot of fun to direct sex scenes, but it’s not. There are so many people on the set, so many things to consider. You’d have to be a pervert to enjoy it. Two of the actresses were virgins; one of them had her parents on the set the whole time that I even cast them in the movie! The acting is realistic, there’s no saxophone playing in the background. We tell it like it is to make it look edgy and real. The rape scenes were also sensitively done – I wanted to show the horror of the act.

You think feminists will cry foul when they see this?

LYLE: I want to show that virginity is a social construct. It makes you think about the value we put on virginity. Does it really mean a lot, losing it for the first time?

In pre-Hispanic times, we were more matriarchal, for example, and a woman’s sexual experience was valued.

Making a film, they say, is about compromise. What has all this compromising taught you guys?

RAMON: My story had the most changes. I was aware of the compromises, but even I was surprised at the changes. Knowing the circumstances that Lyle had to go through, I understand better.

QUARK: The minute Erwin gave me his script I knew that it would give me a headache. But I loved his script so I tried my best maintain the integrity of the story. Coming in we already knew it was a daunting task, and it was Lyle who felt it the most. The last one was the most frustrating, because of the MTRCB and time constraints. So I’m frustrated as both producer and as a movie fan.

Someone once said that movies are meant to entertain, but films are intended to provoke. Which side are you on?

RAMON DE VEYRA: Who said that it has to be mutually exclusive? You can be provocative and entertaining and disturbing all at the same time.

QUARK: The important thing is that the viewer has to know how to think for himself.

What’s next on the agenda for you guys?

LYLE: I just want to make a movie that I’m happy with. Just one! I don’t want to make movies for awards or international recognition.

QUARK: Things can change with a movement, not just one person. So I’m thinking of getting into production instead of directing. There are a lot of talented filmmakers and scriptwriters out there, but I think they need new producers. More and more I want to find those who are really into the craft. My realization from this movie

is that there are so many really good ideas, but no one wants to take risks. What we need is that kind of producer – someone who’s willing to take a risk on new ideas. I’d call them "creative producers."