Why ‘Barumbadings’ is more than a gay film

CEBU, Philippines —  That Joel Torre was nervous only made director Darryl Yap pleased and feeling like he had half the job done. It meant the revered actor of Philippine cinema wasn’t taking his role – a first in his career – lightly.

Determined to cast the veteran for his 12th film never mind if they had to wait for his schedule to free up, the powers that be in Viva made it happen. And so it was another wish fulfillment for the prolific filmmaker. “Panalong panalo ako sa pelikulang ito dahil I got to experience Sir Joel Torre,” declared Direk Daryll in a Zoom press conference.

Joel has gone gay on screen before but these were closeted. So he considers his tranny, flamboyant gay character in “Barumbadings” a first, one that, he said, was secretly part of his bucket list.

“I was very excited with the novel idea na ang gaganap na Barumbadings are these action stars at talagang lalaki na mga artista. And that it was directed by Darryl Yap who is the darling of Vivamax,” the award-winning actor began.

“I didn’t hesitate but natakot din ako because I didn’t want it to be superficial or just a physical representation. So I dug deep.”

By that he meant drawing up in his mind a composite of his old-school gay friends, some of whom are fashion or design industry icons. In particular he had as peg production designer Fiel Zabat whom he described as motherly, affectionate and very feminine – just like his “Barumbadings” character.

In the action-comedy film that is streaming on Vivamax, Joel is Mother Joy, the tie that binds Izzy (Jeric Raval), Jopay (Mark Anthony Fernandez), and Rochelle (Baron Geisler). Joy is an established fashion designer and owner of the dress shop, House of Joy. He’s got that very masculine mustache and beard combination, but he is every inch a woman at heart. Despite being bullied, he remains kind and forgiving.

He takes the three young gays under his wing to prevent them from getting into trouble and trains them in joining beauty pageants. Izzy is a Japanese-looking gay who’s got Samurai skills and is not intimidated by anyone. The silent type, he barely talks and in fact has just about one line in the entire film.

Just like Izzy, Jopay is one tough gay who keeps guns all over his body. He will not let anyone oppress him. Jopay has beautiful eyes which are perfect for his special skill as a sharp-shooter.

Rochelle, Mother Joy’s third protégé, is always seen with a lollipop in his mouth. But don’t let this candy-loving Barumbading fool you: Rochelle is a mixed martial artist who will not hesitate to hurt anyone who attempts to harm him or his friends.

The lives of the gay gangsters are suddenly shaken when their beloved guardian passes away. As Izzy, Jopay, and Rochelle look back on Joy’s colorful life, the bereaved Barumbadings give honor to Joy’s memory one last time.

“Barumbadings” also stars John Lapus as Queenpin, and Cecil Paz as the lesbian Buchi. Queenpin and Buchi are ex-lovers turned mortal enemies. They are the reason why Izzy, Jopay, and Rochelle have gotten involved in violence.

“I hope viewers will appreciate that not all gay films should be about incest or STDs. It’s one-of-a -kind seeing the best action stars and character actors portray such colorful characters,” said Direk Daryll, adding how the gentlemen were all gracious and submitted to their roles.

“Nahirapan lang ako sa pagpapalambot. Every now and then I will have to cut dahil lang mataas ang balikat ni Mark Anthony or mali ang tindig nila Sir Jeric and Baron.”

All the Barumbadings gamely shaved their body hair, even part of their eyebrows, to look the part and give the makeup artist full freedom with their faces. But that wasn’t the most painful for them to bear. Jeric, Mark Anthony and Baron all cited having to walk and fight in stilettos as the most challenging part.

“In fact yung batang artista napilay siya, so todo ingat ako doon,” said Mark, referring to the child actors who play their younger selves.

For Jeric, who has 48 action starrers in his filmography, practiced by himself in his hotel room how to walk around in heels. Having to wear a bra and leggings also irritated him at first, but the fun shoot soon helped them feel comfortable.

“Iniisip ko, rerespetuhin pa kaya ako ng fans ko nito kapag nakita ako?,” said Jeric. “Sa kalagitnaan ng movie, na-enjoy naman namin. As an action star medyo nahirapan lang talaga ako mag-adjust kung paano kumilos at magsalita ng malambot. Pero hindi naman ako nagkamali sa pagtanggap sa role. In fact, I’m looking forward for a part 2.”

Having to endure a bra and fake eyelashes likewise made Joel better empathize with women. He shared how one plot point his Mother Joy deals with is the generational gap between the old school gays and the millennial gays – making him realize that there is politics even among the LGBT community in the real world.

Describing one scene that was a tough nut to crack, Joel shared, “The scene where he makes an ultimate sacrifice without the Barumbadings knowing was difficult for me. Showing your deepest emotions in a feminine way with your mascara dripping, yung humahagulgol ka na tapered down to still be very womanly was challenging.”

When it came to Baron, he initially had to grapple with reconciling his newfound belief system with the role offered at hand. “The only conflict for me was my faith. I really asked the question and prayed to God ‘Why should I do this film?’ Is it promoting gay pride?,” he revealed. “Eventually when I looked into the script I said maybe people will come to realize that it’s not just a gay film. It’s about people na hindi dapat pumayag na tapakan – mapalalaki, mapababae, any gender.”

“So for me this film is about fighting for your integrity. It’s more than a gay film. The Holy Spirit said that I can use this eventually in my preaching. This film was liberating as it made me realize how people judge quickly. Hopefully this film becomes an eye-opener not to judge if you don’t know the situation or you don’t know the person – whatever their gender may be.”