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Table of Contents
VOICES Screenings
Photo of Ellen Ongkeko-Marfil not available JASON SOEDA: Aloha, Ellen! How excited are you to see VOICES open in Hawaii? ELLEN ONGKEKO-MARFIL: I've never been to Hawaii so I am so very excited to see the place, meet the people -I know there's a lot of Pinoys there-and get their reaction to our film, which is a combination of advocacy, melodrama, classical violin music played by a real renowned Filipino violinist and his true-to-life child prodigy. It's never been done in the Philippines. Island people that they are, I think they'd enjoy the soulful climax of the film, which is shot by the shores of our Pundaquit beach. I also look forward to seeing the other films and interacting with the other filmmakers and audiences. I love film festivals and each festival somehow defines the place for me. JS: What was your motivation for making this film? EOM: I was looking for material which I could share with my son who is now 14. He was fast growing up and my previous works were a bit too mature for him- blind masseurs, desaparecidos, gay and women bonding I didn't commission the script though, but it had won a scriptwriting contest. The spirit of the script just touched me. And my son plays the violin too. I was challenged on how to combine a grim situation such as child abuse- an important issue that more often than not is read only in the tabloids and classical music, which in the Philippines could be alienating to many -and yet truly delight my audience without romanticizing the situation. I am of course an advocate on the power of art to transform. JS: What kind of challenges did you encounter during the filming of VOICES? EOM: To create magic despite the odds. Filmmakers are like magicians, they always have to make do - and in indie filmmaking, resources are always limited. Amazingly, the project was blessed. Veteran artists said yes and money just came in somehow so that from a planned six day-shoot, I managed 11 days without losing my shirt. To work with non-actors is also a major challenge but you'd be surprised how they compared with our internationally acclaimed Filipino actors Cherrie Pie Picache of FOSTER CHILD, KALELDO and Ricky Davao of THE KITE, THE MAN BEHIND SELYA and AMERICAN ADOBO. Just as great. Our eight-year-old prodigy Julian Duque clinched it for me. I almost backed-out from the project until in one workshop, he just stunned us all with the depth of emotion he was capable of. JS: As an independent filmmaker, do you enjoy the challenge of working with limited resources? EOM: I would have enjoyed it better if there was more money but the joy is being able to work with great artists who do it for the love of It is very inspiring. With limited resources, one is also forced to always get to the essence of things which benefits the work as a whole. JS: Cherry Pie Picache is amazing in your film. Incidentally, she appeared in FOSTER CHILD, a film we screened in 2007. What was it like working with such a talented actress? EOM: First I was very grateful that she accepted a supporting role because she loved the script and like me, she was also a fan of Coke Bolipata. But with her talent, the role became a major pillar of the children's shelter- which I wanted her to be. It was very humbling to work with her as she would always ask me to give her instructions, give feedback and the like. And I would always say, "But you're already doing great!" And the audience response proved me right. The role is seemingly simple, but it takes great talent to get it noticed and every review did notice. JS: So, how did you get violin virtuoso Coke Bolipata involved in this project? Did you enjoy working with him? EOM: At first, I thought of him as a musical director and I wanted to shoot in Casa San Miguel which is the arts center he put up in the province. I also asked him for recommendations to play the role of the child prodigy. Immediately he thought of Julian Duque. He is quite passionate with his advocacy to enrich rural communities through the arts, and with music specifically, that I thought he was perfect for the role. He was hesitant at first. He said the emotion for acting is the same for playing music but he wasn't sure if he could translate it to movement and voice. We auditioned him and he just had this sense of honesty, which I said is really what makes a great actor. Not only that. In the Philippines, violinists and classical music are quite elite, quite way up there but he made the violinist real, down-to-earth, very human. It was fantabulous working with him and we all fell in love with him and Julian as well. In the movie, he is a reclusive violinist who is full of angst. In real life, he's a Peter Pan. JS: To me it feels like American audiences are only just discovering the flourishing film industry of the Philippines. Do you feel U.S. film festivals are finally paying enough attention to films from the Philippines? EOM: I hope so. The indies particularly are proving there's so much talent here, and great stories to tell. We hope that aside from festivals, we also really get into the market, then there'd be real great interaction. JS: What do you want audiences to take away from your film? EOM: We were all children once and know what fear is. As one critic put it, I hope that the film is a chance to rethink our relationships. At the same time, the film is our paean to the power of music, art and film. I hope, they all leave the theater with a sense of hope and exhilaration. JS: What's next for you, Ellen? EOM: A Muslim-Christian love story from Iraq to the Philippines. |
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