I was patiently sitting at the balcony of a coffee shop in Makati when I saw director Yam Laranas walking towards me. As he sat down, I asked him immediately, “How’s the film doing?” I was referring to his newest film, The Road, which he excitedly informed me that it has been receiving good reviews, as well as sharing his future plans for it.
Laranas is no stranger in the film industry. The Road is already his eighth film, but doing commercials and AVPs are his bread and butter. On the side, he also makes viral videos. As one of the most-sought commercial directors, he tasted mainstream success here and abroad, and still carries the independent spirit reflected in his films and short videos. Included in the list of his achievements is the international remake of his film, Sigaw or The Echo, which he himself also directed.
The path to ‘The Road’
“You know what, this is the same exact place where I first pitched the story [The Road] and they turned me down,” Laranas shared.
The Road has already received great reviews, and has piqued the curiosity of international critics. Those who have watched it liked it too—making the film one of the chosen few suspense thrillers with a PG-13 rating.
Laranas shared that he is personally in dialogue with international acquisition groups who were intrigued with the buzz and positive reviews of his film.
“There is a strong possibility to screen the film internationally, maybe one in North America including Canada and one in Europe,” he said. In addition to that, The Road has also received numerous invitations to join film festivals.
“I don’t like it na yung film ko hanggang dito lang. We are looking beyond. Beyond the life span of the film here in the Philippines. There is life outside.”
“When I pitched the story to GMA, they gave an outright approval. They told me that ‘the story is different and almost not commercial but we like it. So when can you start shooting?’ So we made the film,” he said. Whether it is luck or pure creativity that makes this film worth pitching again, Laranas went on to making The Road, which went through several story developments in the span of five years.
With The Road, Laranas was able to explore the feeling of paranoia and claustrophobia. He started writing the story way back in 2005. He was not commissioned and only wrote it for himself. He confessed that he struggled connecting stories from one another. And the rest, as they always say, is history.
Some people in the industry have asked why he didn’t make another Asian horror film. “I did that out of my respect for the audience,” Laranas said.
“I respect the Filipino audience because they are smart enough to know what is crap to them,”
For now, making suspense thrillers or horror films is his comfort zone. He finds joy with its dark mood and tone. He loves it when he sees people screaming because it gives him the assurance that his creative skills work for the audience. For him, that is the “instantaneous effect of the success of the story.”
In between the indie and mainstream
“I’m very happy to have an independent spirit working in a mainstream industry. I’m in the mainstream but half of me is an indie,” Laranas humbly confessed.
When the rest of the creative people are jumping from one industry to another, Laranas learned to stay focused and love what he is doing—whether it is an AVP or a film.
With the overwhelming support received by The Road, he has proved that the Filipino audience appreciates stories that are told in a different manner. The film does not explore a scary old theme or concept that is just stretched out to give reason why the film is made. The Road is simply not like that.
It has a story to tell, the characters are well executed, the camera work is just amazing and it had the potential to earn at the box office. The Road is a realization that the industry is capable of producing a sensible film that also equates to commercial value.
“I have no qualms about commercialism because this is an industry. The motion picture industry has to make money. But it would be great to make quality movies and make money at the same time. That’s the perfect balance because making movie is not a joke, it is expensive,” he shared.
“If I make a film, I want to be appreciated, I want to have an audience. I don’t want to be like Van Gogh. You have to put balance and compromise along the way. Once you have to stand in your vision and, at the same time, you have to be considerate of the money you’re spending which is not yours,” he added.
Praise and caution
Last year, independent films rose and took the mainstream stage. Movies like the Cinemalaya entry, Ang Babae sa Septic Tank, was shown featured country’s major movie houses and was also selected to compete to the Oscars for Best Foreign Film category.
Another is the horror-comedy movie Zomabading: Patayin sa Shokot si Remington, made by a group of independent film makers, writers and actors who joined forces to bring it to the big screen and proved that it can be an effective tool in educating the masses.
With these films and more, Laranas boldly confirms his pride and support for the indie scene.
“The independent scene is very promising right now which, makes the industry realize that there are other stories to tell. They are spearheading a way to know the Philippines as a film-making country. We should always support them,” he said.
However, Laranas explained that the independent scene does not give people the freedom to use their digital SLRs to shoot film and neglect the word quality attached to it.
“The downside is that there are too many indie [people] that [think] when you have a camera, you are a filmmaker already.” Laranas said.
“There are just a handful who are very true to their craft and real that makes you proud. Indies should realize that one should not forget the quality, the technical sides have already been ignored. I always believe nga that the indies right now who are serious about their craft, stand out. It makes an impact,”
Before wrapping up the interview and finishing his coffee, I asked what he thinks about the future of the Philippine Cinema. In spite of being an obvious question asked to many filmmakers and film enthusiasts, Laranas’ remarks showed his passion for films, ensuring that the Philippine’s name in the film industry—local and international—will always have its mark.
“The future is bright especially now that the indie filmmakers are creating a dent, actually, a crater already which, is a good indication. The film per se will die... but film making in the Philippines will always flourish.
I always tell that to directors. Those who believe that the Filipino cinema is dead are those who are dead in the cinema.”
(www.asianjournal.com)
(OCIE Jan 6-12, 2012 RedCarpet pg.2)
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