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Kidnapping independent cinema

By Albert-Anthony Abando

December 17, 2017, 12:17 pm

MANILA -- What happens to the independent film industry when the most sought after actor gets kidnapped?

That is exactly the premise of the film, “Ang Mga Kidnapper ni Ronnie Lazaro” written and directed by Sigfreid Barros Sanchez.

In an exclusive interview with the Philippine News Agency (PNA) at the Maginhawa Film Festival in Quezon City, Sanchez shared his insights on what inspired him to produce the film and all the challenges he went through before the film made it to the big screen.

“It all started as a joke,” Sanchez said.

“We were talking about actors independent filmmakers wanted to cast in their films and Ronnie’s (Lazaro) name was up there on their list so I hit on this wild idea of kidnapping Ronnie and watching what happens next,” he added.

In the film, the “indie” cinema industry is thrown into chaos as the first-choice actor is abducted and everyone including authorities are forced to speculate on the reason behind the actor’s disappearance and the people behind crime.

“Ang Mga Kidnapper ni Ronnie Lazaro” is a unique approach to filmmaking as it forgoes all the bells and whistles the industry is well-known for.

What the film lacks in technical aspects, it more than makes up for in its powerhouse cast: Ronnie Lazaro, Noni Buencamino, Epy Quizon, Joel Torre, and other stars who have made their mark on stage.

Sanchez said the film did not make the cut in its initial release and subsequent attempts as an entry to a popular film festival.

“It was always rejected for the film festival but during a two-day screening in Davao, I was amazed at the way the crowd patronized it and for that particular period, it even surpassed the box office sales of a popular Hollywood film,” Sanchez said.

But the film is more than just a comedy of errors, explained Sanchez.

“In this modern age, some filmmakers are obsessed with the technical side of making films. I want to show the audience—especially aspiring filmmakers—that the story must come first,” he said.

“Ang Mga Kidnaper ni Ronnie Lazaro” is a masterpiece in austere filmmaking where no additional equipment other than a camera was used.

Sanchez said he learned the “art” of filmmaking at the Movie Workers Welfare Fund Institute (Mowelfund) where he gained a solid background on celluloid negatives.

“In the old days, we were discouraged from doing a second take. Each reel we were issued cost about P10,000 back in the day and it would be such a waste if we would have to reshoot a scene,” Sanchez said. “For ‘Kidnaper’, we had to undergo a full rehearsal before the shot to ensure that I wouldn’t have to do a take two.”

What comes on screen is a flawless performance which seems like the actors were merely “winging it” or doing ad libs. The single camera and angle give a candid, amateur look to the film that enhances its raw, unembellished, “verite” style.

It is this same rawness that compels the viewer to look and more importantly, feel the characters and the circumstances they are in as if they were compelled to participate and vicariously experience what the characters go through.

The film also tackles sensitivities the common man almost always ignores—cultural sensitivities and how the subject is portrayed in films of previous years. Although shot in the modern day with modern circumstances, the film is anachronistic in its allusions to film genres, actors, places, and activities related with the golden age of Philippine cinema, when the theatre was a free-standing, single detached edifice instead of just a section in the shopping mall.

In as much as the film takes a funny poke at indie cinema, Sanchez has a very serious message he wants to convey to as many of the scenes in the film were taken off his own life and from experiences of friends and real people.

“It’s difficult to be a good storyteller if you’ve never experienced anything especially hardship. For me, telling the story is the essence of filmmaking. Even though I’ve shot and cut this film years ago and seen it so many times, there are still parts that make me teary eyed especially with the way Noni (Buencamino) delivered his lines. I see myself in his character, having been through what he is going through in the film,” he said.

“Ang Mga Kidnapper ni Ronnie Lazara” is a refreshing approach to filmmaking.

Younger audiences will take away valuable lessons in life and the heart that goes into the filmmaking process. More mature audiences will find a lot of good memories to look back on especially as a film buff or as a movie goes back at a time when going to a theatre was as important as Sunday mass.

The Maginhawa Film Festival runs from Dec 9-30 at the Cinema Centenario, 95 Maginhawa St., Diliman Quezon City. (PNA)

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