Si Director Jerrold Tarog ay isang baguhan ngunit mahusay at sensitibong filmmaker na siyang nagdidirek, nagsusulat ng script, siya ring musical scorer, at sound engineer ng kanyang sariling pelikula.
Mine-maintain niya rin ang kanyang
career bilang isang freelance professional musical scorer. Siya ang
nag-score ng critically-acclaimed films such as Kaleldo at Foster
Child ni Direk Dante Mendoza at ang Kubrador ni Direk Jeffrey
Jeturian.
Kauna-unahang pelikula pa lamang ni
Direk Jerrold ang Confessional (Cinema One Originals entry in 2007),
pero umani na ito ng napakaraming papuri mula sa mga respetadong kritiko, at
humakot ng awards hindi lang dito sa bansa kung hindi pati na rin sa mga
international dilm festivals.
Ngayong 2009, nagbabalik-film festival
ang husay at kalibre ng isang Jerrold Tarog.
This time, pasok ang second film ni
Direk sa isa pang independent Pinoy filmfest, ang Cinemalaya Cinco, with his
full-length film titled Mangatyanan.
Ilang days bago pa man nagpa-presscon
ang Cinemalaya 2009 sa CCP noong May 21, nakapanyam na ng PEP (Philippine
Entertainment Portal) si Direk Jerrold, via email.
Ano nga ba ang kuwento ng
Mangatyanan? Mangatyanan is a sequel to Confessional,"
sabi ni Direk. "It's part of a trilogy about people with cameras. There's more
drama this time than commentary."
SYNOPSIS. Himalaya "Laya" Marquez has never had a complete dream since she was 12. Something always wakes her up at night. That something used to be her father, the famous photographer Danilo Marquez, whose constant sexual abuse of Laya tore her family apart.
Now, at 27, Laya possesses a cold
exterior that hides torrents of pain. Working as a travel photographer, Laya is
sent to Isabela to capture a rare harvest ritual called Mangatyanan by
the Labwanan tribe. What Laya finds there, however, is a severely dwindled
group held together by their desperate leader Mang Renato.
Soon, Laya senses a strong connection
between the tribe's predicament and her own troubled life. Events spiral out of
control as the Mangatyanan crumbles under Mang Renato's desperate grip
and Laya is forced to flee. But something happens that brings her face-to-face
with her own demons. Will she finally confront her past or will she keep
running?
Ano nga ba ang dahilan kung bakit
mahilig si Direk Jerrold na gumawa ng pelikulang tungkol sa mga taong may mga
camera, at plano pa niyang gumawa ng "trilogy"?
Una nga kasi, sa Confessional,
bida ang isang lalaking videographer, and this time sa Mangatyanan, bida
ang isang babaeng photographer naman.
"Wala talagang profound reason. It's
just that, meron na akong two scripts that featured professional camera-people.
"So, I figured I might as well write a third
one, call it a trilogy, then forever BAN myself from writing characters with
that profession again. I have plans for a Music trilogy as well," pahayag ni
Direk.
Bida si Che Ramos sa nasabing indie
film. Si Che ay isang print and commercial model na marami-rami na rin
ang nagawang commercials, at nakalabas na (in supporting roles) sa mga indie
movies.
Kabilang sa past films ni Che Ramos ay
ang Ataul For Rent (with Joel Torre and Jaclyn Jose), Pain Things(with Christian Vazquez and Michael de Mesa), at Prinsesa (starring Romnick
Sarmenta and Shamaine Buencamino).
"Isa rin siyang trained dancer.
This is her first lead role in a feature film. The lead part was written
specifically for her," pagbibigay-impormasyon pa ni Direk.
Kabilang rin sa cast ang critically-acclaimed stage and film actress na si Irma
Adlawan, ang character actor na si Neil Ryan Sese, at si Publio Briones III (na
gumanap bilang Mayor sa Confessional).
Ano ang message na nais niyang iparating sa kanyang audience sa Mangatyanan? "I don't know," aniya. "It's not a
message film. But, like Confessional, it tells a simple story but
it also has several symbolic layers that may be interpreted in different ways.
Bahala na ang audience."
Masasabing "bongga" rin si Direk, dahil
in a period of three years, na-penetrate niya ang dalawa sa pinaka-popular na independent
film festival sa bansa: ang Cinema One Orginals noong 2007 at ang Cinemalaya
2009.
Paano niya maikukumpara ang kanyang
working experience sa Cinema One with that of Cinemalaya?
"I've been fortunate enough to have
smooth working relationships with my producers. In Cinema One, they allowed me
to do whatever I wanted and it's the same with Cinemalaya.
"It's a great thing because, without corporate
constraints, the filmmaker focuses on craft. When the producer completely
trusts the filmmaker and the script, all you need to do is make the best film
you can possibly make.
"No energy is wasted on politics and wrangling
egos," makahulugang pagtatapos ni Direk.
Handog ng BigTop Media, Casa San Miguel and Metric Films, ang Production Staff ng Mangatyanan ay ang sumusunod:
Director -- Jerrold Tarog
Producers -- John Silva and Franco
Alido
Line Producer -- Ma-an Asuncion
Screenplay -- Ramon Ukit (aka
Jerrold Tarog)
Production Designer -- Benjamin
Padero
Director of Photography -- Mackie
Galvez
Original Music -- Jerrold Tarog
Assistant Director -- Bianca Balbuena
Editor - Pats R. Ranyo (aka Jerrold Tarog)
Sound Design - Roger "TJ" Ladro (aka Jerrold Tarog)
Ang 5th Cinemalaya Philippine
Independent Film Festival ay itatanghal mula July 17-26, 2009 sa Cultural
Center of the Philippines (CCP) sa Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City.