Taong 2007 nang unang "umugong" ang pangalang Director Paul Soriano sa industriya, nang ma-link siya sa TV host-singer-actress na si Toni Gonzaga. Eventually, naging girlfriend niya ito at more than three years na ang kanilang relasyon.
Noong nagsisimula pa lamang ang relasyon ng dalawa, naging low-profile lamang sa showbiz scene ang guwapong direktor. Naging abala ito sa pagdidirek ng iba't ibang TV commercials, AVPs, concerts, events at short films.
Si Direk Paul ay apo ng namayapang 1960's aktor na si Nestor de Villa, at anak naman ni Jeric Soriano, ang nag-direk ng pelikulang Hotshots (1984) ni Gary Valenciano.
Noong isang taon, ang first full-length directorial movie niyang A Journey Home (2009)ay umani ng magagandang papuri mula sa film critics. Isang feel good drama movie na suportado ng isang religious organization, bida rito ang underrated actor na si Soliman Cruz, at tampok rin sina Toni, John Manalo, at Joem Bascon.
Looking back, paano nga ba nagsimula ang kanyang pangarap upang magdirek ng pelikula, with A Journey Home as his first full length film?
"It was in 2007 when I talked with Francis Lua, the film's producer. Francis was also among Star Cinema's writers pool who co-wrote the films My Big Love and U Got Me. May iniisip silang project for the 10th year anniversary of the Jubille Evangelical Church, and so the film was done.
"I was happy doing A Journey Home although it entailed a lot of hard work, like developing the story, raising money, the whole production. Naging busy rin si Toni kaya natagalan ang shooting namin, until it was shown last October 2009," kuwento ni Direk Paul.
Ngayo'y abala si Direk Paul sa preparasyon para sa ikalawa niyang full length feature as filmmaker: ang Thelma, topbilled by Maja Salvador, at kasama rin sina Tetchie Agbayani, John Arcilla, Eliza Pineda, at Elma Muros in a guest role.
Magsisimulang mag-shooting ang buong produkisyon ng Thelma sa Ilocos Norte simula November 10 hanggang November 18, 2010. At muling magre-resume ng shooting sa Manila hanggang sa ikalawang linggo ng December 2010.
May target showing ang pelikula sa March 2011.
Ayon kay Direk Paul, ang Thelma--na tungkol sa buhay ng isang babaeng "runner"--ay masasabi niyang "dream movie" for him sa dahilang matagal na raw ang concept na ito sa kanyang isip, bukod pa sa pagiging athletic niya mismo.
"I'm basically an athletic person. I love running, I love basketball, golf, soccer," ani Direk na isa ring spokesperson/ brand ambassador for Seattle's Best Coffee, Regatta Clothing, at National Geographic.
"Matagal na sa computer ko ang concept ng Thelma, mga three years or more na, and I'm happy I'm realizing that dream movie now, we're about to shoot on November 10."
WORKING HIS WAY UP. Ayon sa kanya, dahil sumikat ang kanyang lolong si Nestor de Villa noon at laging gumagawa ng movies ang ama niyang si Direk Jeric Soriano, lumaki siya na mundo ng showbiz.
"I basically grew up as a production kid," pagbabalik-tanaw ni Direk Paul. "Second life ko na ang showbiz after ko mag-aral at magtrabaho sa USA, when I came home to the Philippines.
"Normal na sa childhood ko ang mga shooting ng movies, I was exposed to it na since I was a kid. Kaya sabi ko, I think it's very natural for me to direct movies of my own, just like my dad did."
Kumusta ang buhay kabataan niya sa Amerika bago siya nag-settle sa Pilipinas?
"High school student pa lang ako in International School here in Manila when I became the head of a film club.
"In college, sa Amerika na ako nag-aral. I took film and video production sa De Anza College, Cupertino, California and also Communications course in Santa Clara University sa Santa Clara, also in California. My course was with emphasis on short films. Nakagawa na rin ako ng amateur short films in college.
"I also studied acting and meisner technique course sa The Acting Corps Acting Studio in Hollywood, California."
From the year 2000 to 2005, bukod sa pag-aaral niya sa San Francisco, Los Angeles, USA, pinasukan niya rin ang ilang "odd jobs" upang, 'ika nga, ay maka-survive at makaraos sa mahirap na buhay-Amerika.
"During my years in the US, I worked on the odd jobs like I worked as a video attendant of Blockbuster Video, production assistant."
Taong 2005 nang finally ay nagdesisyon siyang magbalik-Pilipinas--dala ang ambisyon at matagal nang pangarap na maging direktor ng pelikula.
"Dito sa Manila, I started out as a production assistant, production manager, assistant director in TVC projects, AVPs and Events, until finally was given a break to become a director.
"When I moved here in the Philippines noong 2005, I really wanted to direct here na in Manila. Life in the US is talagang fast. Mahirap. Ang daming struggling directors doon.
"So, it was nice to be back in the country and realize my dream, to be recognized here, and maybe abroad if my movies get to international film festivals."
Hanggang sa dinirek niya ang concert ni Gary Valenciano, ang Gary V @ 23, sa Music Museum.
"In 2008, I became busy doing TV commercials na. But it was just last year (2009) when I fell in love with doing films. You have one-and-a-half years of telling your story, unlike sa advertising na 30 to 60 seconds lang."
Mahirap man sa simula tulad ng pinagdaanan niya sa unang pelikula, niyakap pa rin ni Direk Paul at nagtiyaga, dahil alam nitong sa panahon ng digital age, buhay na buhay na ang independent o "indie" cinema.
"In independent movie making, you really have the creative freedom as a filmmaker and writer. The trust in me of the people who saw A Journey Home, is there. A lot of people were saying, 'May talent pala si Paul sa pagdidirek!'
"It was quite a good impact on me kaya I thought, this is the passion and dream that I wanted to pursue ever since," ani Direk Paul.
SYNOPSIS. Thelma (Maja Salvador) loves running. She runs in the fields of her hometown of Ilocos Norte. It's the one thing that sets her free from a life of feeling unwanted and invisible to her family.
A mischievous, tomboyish teenage barrio girl, Thelma isn't what people expected her to be--her farmer father, Aldo (John Arcilla) wanted a son; and her mother, Floring (Tetchie Agbayani) was in the middle of a possible athletic running career when she came along.
She lives in the shadow of her younger sister Hannah (Eliza Pineda) who is smarter and favored by her parents. Despite her hidden envy of her, Thelma loves Hannah and they are the best of friends.
Disaster strikes when the sisters take a forbidden shortcut across a new highway, and Hannah is run over by a speeding car, almost killed, and practically crippled for life. Her only hope to walk again is an expensive operation they cannot afford.
From then on, life is an even heavier burden for Thelma until she enters a road race and wins. This sets Thelma in motion, on a journey to use her gift of strength and speed, to run for her sister's possible recovery, for her family's hope to rise from desperate poverty, and to redeem herself from the past.
She is forced to grow up, study and work hard, learn, be disciplined and focus. Thelma runs and wins all the way to Manila, where she grows into a beautiful, young, female athlete, with new horizons and challenges.
She finds friends and falls in love, tastes sweet victory and suffers bitter defeat. In the climax of her crucible, homesick, hungry and heartbroken, Thelma is torn between giving up and going home, or going the distance with everything she's got.
She must run for herself and for the love of the sport. She must finish her race and she has no choice but to finish strong.
INSPIRATIONAL FILM. Para sa isang bagong indie filmmaker tulad niya, ano ba ang kaibahan ng indie films sa mainstream films?
"Para sa akin, in mainstream movies, they really make money at the box office. In indie films, the main focus of the filmmaker and producer is the story," paliwanag niya.
"I believe that Filipinos these days are looking for films pure of hope. They want to learn. They want to get inspired. Not just to be entertained lang."
Speaking of inspirations, sino-sino ang director na inspirasyon niya?
"Si Steven Spielberg. I love science-action films din kasi, pero alam kong mahirap gawin sa Pilipinas, pero I would love to do such kind of films sana. I love E.T., Close Encounters of the Third Kind, etc. Sa local movies, I like Crying Ladies [starring Sharon Cuneta, Hilda Koronel].
"I was not rushing to do my next film that's why I didn't rush this. For me, one movie every two years is okey."
Saan ang magiging location ng shooting?
"Fifty percent of the movie will be shot in Ilocos Norte, particularly in Pagudpud and Laoag. Fifty percent, in Manila.
"I've been in Ilocos many times na. I did some AVPs and the campaign for Senator Bongbong Marcos, and maybe, its kinda returning the favor, kaya it's a go for the shoot."
Kung ang A Journey Home ay umabot ng 4 months and 11 days ang shooting (dahil busy ang girlfriend niya na si Toni), 15 shooting days lamang ang target ng production team ni Direk Paul for Thelma.
"The main production is Abracadabra Productions, where I'm the director since 2006. Thelma is an inspirational family drama na sana ay magustuhan hindi lang ng mga mahihilig tumakbo like me, but the general audience as well."
Sino naman ang pangarap niyang mai-direk balang araw sa pelikula?
"One of my crushes in showbiz is Maricel Soriano," rebelasyon ni Direk Paul habang natatawa.
"She's really beautiful and a versatile actress. She can do down-to-earth roles. I've seen some of her movies; she can transform herself. That's a mark of a good actor.
"I know the old stars, e. Like Maricel, I like actors who can embrace their characters. I hire an actor because I believe in her."
DIRECTOR'S PROFILE. Bilang music video director ng 1017 Productions (June 2006 until present), nakapag-direk na si Direk Paul ng music videos para sa artists tulad nina: Gary Valenciano, Regine Velasquez, Toni Gonzaga, Erik Santos, Jed Madela, Gian Magdangal, Gretchen Espina, Sam Concepcion, Julieanne, Guji Lorenzana, Billy Crawford, Nikki Gil, at Ogie Alcasid.
Bilang AVP (audio visual presentation) at TV commercial director naman mula sa kanyang Abracadabra Productions (March 2007 until present), nakapagdirek siya sa iba't ibang clients tulad ng: Globe, Smart, Jollibee, Chowking, Unilab / Unilever / Proctor & Gamble products, Motorola, PLDT, Bonakid, Hewlett - Packard, Philips Lighitng, Oakwood Premiere, ABS - CBN, Pagcor, San Miguel Corporation, Department of Tourism, Nokia, Chevrolet, HSBC, etc.
Bilang film director: Ginawa niya ang short film na Sayaw (2006) as producer/ director. Tungkol sa boxing, ang short film na ito'y naging official entry sa Philippine Visions Film Festival 2006 at sa Chicago Filipino - American Film Festival 2006.
Ang kanyang A Journey Home (2009) ay Grand Prize Winner sa Gideon Flame Film Festival 2009, gayundin sa African Enterprise International Christian Film Festival 2010, at sa AMRITSA International Christian Film Festival, London, England 2010.
Producer-director rin siya ng Pop Class (March 2010), isang mini-movie for Universal Records starring Sam Concepcion and Cheska Ortega.
Ganoon rin ang Chasing Manila (May 2010), isang short film para sa PAGCOR at Department of Tourism, starring Jason Abalos, Ketchup Eusebio, Tessie Tomas, Roy Rodrigo, and Alessandra De Rossi. Naging official entry ito sa 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, China. Also in consideration ito sa Sundance Film Festival 2011.
"I've directed recently political ads for Manny Pacquiao, Senator Bong Bong Marcos and Brother Eddie Villanueva. I've also done some viral work, most recently the Araw Award-winning and Kidlat Award- winning The Mark Peckson Project," dagdag niya.
Going back to Thelma, ano'ng mensahe niya para sa kanyang audience?
"I want the people to run to reach for their dreams, and not to walk!
"Ako kasi, I wanna get to my dream right away. 'Yung mga kabataan, I know that they won't get their dreams right away, but they must run, dapat tumakbo sila dahil mabilis ang takbo ng buhay."
Handa na kaya ang Pinoy audience sa ganitong klase ng pelikula?
"I want to make the film 'coz it's a character film for me. I hope the people will appreciate the story, and you know, for the art of it. Ang audience naman, 'pag word of mouth, automatic na 'yan na susuportahan nila ang movie, 'di ba?"
PRODUCTION STAFF.
Production Outfit: TimeHorizon Pictures in cooperation with Abracadabra Productions
Executive Producers: Rino Que and Samantha Chavez Que
Producer and Director: Paul Soriano
Story: Rino Que, Froilan Medina, Paul Soriano
Screenplay: Froilan Medina, Paul Soriano
Director of Photography: Odyssey Flores
1st Assistant Director: Bombi Plata
2nd Assistant Director: Sue Prado
Production Designer: Nina Torres
Line Producer and Casting Director: Melba Dela Cruz
Musical Score: Archie Castillo
Editor: Mark Victor and Fabienne Bucher
Production Manager: Anthony Delos Reyes
Art Director: Yso Aboitiz
Senior Production Assistant: Johnson Moico
Creative Consultants: Emman Dela Cruz, Elma Muros, Jojo Posadas
Production Assistants: Hector Penyam, Jake Soriano
Script Continuity: Raquel Fausto
Ilocos Norte Production Manager: Al Valenciano
Film Publicist: Leah Salterio