Less than a week after Two Funerals garnered honors at the recent Cinemalaya filmfest, including Best Director for Gil Portes (in photo) and Best Screenplay for Eric Ramos, indie filmmaker Bong Ramos alleges that Portes got the idea for the road picture from a script he, Bong Ramos, submitted to Cinemalaya two years ago. Portes has denied the accusation and scriptwriter Eric Ramos further rebuts on Facebook: "Ang sabi ni Direk [Portes], binasa uli ni Direk Laurice Guillen [Cinemalaya's Competition chair] ang Biyaheng Norte, and she found no similarity at all to Two Funerals."
(UPDATED) Indie filmmaker alleges director Gil Portes lifted his idea for Two Funerals
Sunday, July 25, 2010
06:13 PM
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Umiikot ngayon ang isyung "plagiarism" (o pangongopya ng material nang walang angkop na pagbibigay-credit sa source) sa pagitan ng dalawang direktor—ang beteranong si Gil Portes, at ang relatively new director na si Alejandro "Bong" Ramos, na siya ring sumusulat ng ilan niyang pelikula.
Si Direk Gil ay ilang dekada na sa industriya ng pelikulang Pilipino at nakagawa na ng maraming award-winning films tulad ng 'Merika at Andrea, Paano Ba Ang Maging Isang Ina (Nora Aunor), Saranggola (Ricky Davao), Mga Munting Tinig at Homecoming (Alessandra de Rossi), Mulanay (Jaclyn Jose, Gina Alajar, Noni Buencamino), at iba pa.
Si Bong Ramos naman ay direktor ng indie films na Haw Ang (Kalila Aguilos), Butas (Allen Dizon, Gwen Garci), Big Night (Jordan Herrera), Pipo: Ang Batang Pro (Tyrone Perez), at Halik Sa Tubig (Althea Vega, Orlando Sol, Marco Morales). Maliban sa huli'y naipalabas na sa commercial theaters ang mga pelikula niya these past two years.
Siya rin ang co-writer ng In Da Red Corner (Meryll Soriano and Aiza Marquez) na naging finalist sa Cinemalaya 2006, at line producer ng Room Boy ni Polo Ravales, kunsaan nagwagi si Meryll ng kanyang first Cinemalaya Best Actress award noong 2005.
STOLEN IDEA? Kamakailan ay lumabas ang akusasyon na ang isinumiteng entry ni Direk Gil sa 6th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival na Two Funerals ay may pagkakahawig sa original script ni Bong Ramos na Biyaheng Norte.
Ayon kay Direk Bong, isa si Portes sa mga judges ng screening committee ng Cinemalaya noong 2008 kung kailan isinumite niya ang kanyang Biyaheng Norte script, na hindi naman nakapasok sa official list of full-length features para sa naturang film festival that year.
Gayunpaman, balak pa rin daw niyang gawin ang pelikula dahil aniya'y original story niya ito.
Two years later, nagwagi ang Two Funerals sa Cinemalaya 2010. Kabilang sa jury ang experienced filmmaker and scriptwriter na si Jose Javier Reyes, award-winning actor na si Ricky Davao, respected film critic Lito Zulueta, at dalawang banyagang hurado. Nanalo si Portes bilang Best Director sa Directors Showcase category at bukod pa rito ay nagkamit ang pelikula ng apat pang Balanghai trophies—Best Cinematography, Audience Choice award, Special Jury Prize, at Best Screenplay para kay Enrique "Eric" Ramos.
Pero bago pa raw ng awards night noong July 18, umabot na sa kaalaman ni Direk Gil na kinukuwento ni Bong Ramos sa kanyang mga kakilala na galing sa Biyaheng Norte ang istorya ng Two Funerals.
PORTES AND ERIC RAMOS REBUT. Earlier this week, mariing pinabulaanan ni Portes ang bintang sa kanya sa Showbiz Mismo, ang radio program ni Jobert Sucaldito sa dzMM. Hindi raw niya maintindihan ang motibo ng nagrereklamo dahil ayon sa kanya'y hindi niya personal na kilala si Bong Ramos.
May nakapagsabi na raw kay Bong Ramos na maghain na lang ng pormal na reklamo sa tamang venue tulad ng Cinemalaya at huwag nang ipagkalat pa ang isyu.
Last Friday, July 23, nagpadala ng mensahe ang PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal) sa Facebook account ni Eric Ramos, ang sumulat ng script ng Two Funerals, upang itanong ang mga sumusunod:
"What's your reaction sa reklamo of Direk Bong Ramos of pangongopya diumano ni Direk Gil of his orig script na Biyaheng Norte for Cinemalaya 2008 supposedly, as he claims? How was this idea of the story started when Direk Gil first talked to you, pls? I hope u can give me your side of the story since this is an issue... Thanks!"
Makalipas ang ilang oras ay sumagot si Eric Ramos sa pamamagitan pa rin ng Facebook:
"The Cinemalaya organizers have told Bong Ramos to file a formal complaint. Hindi naman yata niya ginawa at mas gusto lang niyang mag-whispering campaign sa mga press na madaling maniwala sa sabi-sabi.
"Seriously, as far I'm concerned, this is a non-issue. Nung pinasulat sa akin ni Direk 'yung script last year, ang basic idea lang na binigay sa akin ay may dalawang bangkay na nagkapalit. And I created the story from there, with inputs from Direk. So, bumuo ako ng road movie na magkahalong drama at comedy.
"Wala akong pinagkopyahan na anything. I was working from what I considered to be a very original concept. I didn't know Bong Ramos' script even existed.
"Okey, for the sake of argument na lang, halimbawa nga inisip namin ni Direk na mangopya o kumuha ng inspirasyon sa movie o kuwento ng iba. Kung ang objective namin ay makasali sa Cinemalaya, sa tingin mo pipili kami ng kuwentong ni-reject na ng Cinemalaya? Ang labo, di ba kapatid?
"Di ko nabasa ang Biyaheng Norte. Kung ni-reject ng Cinemalaya, most likely storyline lang yun, not even a script."
Nakausap na rin daw niya ang kanyang director na si Gil Portes tungkol sa isyu.
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