Oktubre 17 ang birthday ng director-producer na si Paul Soriano, kaya Ten17 ang pangalan ng kanyang production company.
Celestine naman ang tunay na pangalan ng misis niyang si Toni Gonzaga, at palayaw niya ang Tin.
Ipinahihiwatig ng production company niyang TinCan na kakayanin niya ang mga bagay-bagay.
Noong nakaraang kaarawan ng director-producer na si Paul ay in-appoint siyang presidential adviser sa creative industries. Considering na marami sa taga-entertainment industry ang very vocal na nagki-criticize sa kanila ni Toni, paano siya magri-reach out sa mga ito?
Sagot ni Direk Paul, “I’ll reach out. Ahhh, you know… I know, I mean, I read and people message me, and you know some people that I really respect…
“Like I said, we may have a lot of disagreements, but maybe we can agree on one thing. And that’s… let’s do this together. That can be step one…
“For me, I try to live in the moment, e, you know. I try to live in the moment and what the future can bring.
“If we keep focusing too much on what was yesterday or years ago, you know, we could lose it. We could lose this opportunity.
“So maybe I’ll extend my hand to all the people that have criticized me or my wife. Ahh, you know, I choose to see the good in them.
“Kasi I know naman, they mean well, e. I mean, you have to understand that passion comes from something deep, right?
“So I respect it. It’s their opinion but maybe we can work and come together for the creative industry. Yun na lang ang sasabihin ko, ano…”
Ano ang naramdaman niya noong pinuputakti si Toni ng kritisismo early this year?
“Well, I think what people need to understand, whatever happens to Toni also happens to me,” pagmamatuwid ni Direk Paul sa mediacon noong Disyembre 5, 2022, Lunes, sa Winford Manila Resort and Casino.
“I mean, we’re married, we’re one and you know… of course as a husband, you need to validate also what she is going through.
“You can’t just say, ‘Don’t mind them,’ you know. ‘Let it go.’ Because some of those hateful words, some of the hateful criticisms came from the people that she really admired, that she really respected, and that she really loved.
“But you know, to be honest with you, after observing this last year… and you know, take this for what it’s worth, but…
“Coz I like to look at everything like a film, like a movie. And in every movie, you have your protagonist. So I see those as antagonists. That’s just what it is.
“That’s what makes life exciting. When you have a little bit of conflict, a little bit of drama, you know.
“Ahhh, if there’s you know a formula for failure, it’s trying to please everybody. You cannot. It is impossible to please everybody.
“Study history, study politics, show business, even the best directors in the world, the best actors in the world, have critics that are also very respectable.
“I’m a big fan of Steven Spielberg. Imagine that, he still has critics. We’re talking about worldwide criticism."
Pagpapatuloy ni Paul, “So, you know, what Toni and I have come to realize is that’s their role in our lives you know. Sila ang antagonists.
“And we just have to embrace it, you know. Our job is not to make them think like us, feel like us. That’s not what we’re here to do.
“What Toni and I really believe in is that… if the people close to us, the significant people that are in our lives, if we can agree and be happy together, that’s more than enough for us.
“Ahh, we cannot really worry about the things we can’t control. I mean, that’s just what it is. We’re just gonna stress ourselves out, we’re just gonna get tired.
“What we can control is our own little world, right? And the people that are really close to us.
“But you know Toni and I, we extend our hand. We love everybody. I mean we have… kinda take a step back and we understand where all that is coming from.
“And that’s fine. Everyone’s entitled to that. That’s what a democracy is. So that’s what freedom of speech is. Everyone has the right to voice it out.
“But that doesn’t mean we cannot work together. I beg to differ. I believe we still can.
“To be honest with you, in the upcoming slate of Ten17 and TinCan, there’s some directors and writers that voted for other groups.
“But we can come to my office and work together. So it’s possible naman. If you wanna work with me, my doors are open.
“If you don’t wanna work with me, I respect that. I think that’s a universal rule, even without politics, religion or anything.
“I mean it’s just the way the world works. I choose to see the talent in people. I don’t choose to see in their lifestyle because I’ll be honest with you guys, nobody is perfect.
“We all have skeletons in our closet. We all have this and that. But what I choose to see is the talent.
“If I feel this director or this writer is great for this project, I’m not gonna go on his feed or google, ‘Ay! Ganito siya!’ ‘Ay! He voted for like this!’ ‘Oh, he likes this.’ No! “I see the vision in this director, kaya niya, this is the best person for this film, di ba. It doesn’t have anything to do with political, spiritual even gender belief. I wanna work with everybody.
“And if they wanna work with me, my doors are open because I really believe like I said earlier — the best stories, the best things created, come from a group of people that can disagree but agree on one thing — and that’s telling the best story possible.”
Read: Paul Soriano believes wife Toni Gonzaga is "probably the most powerful celebrity today"
"I'M LIVING MY BEST LIFE NOW"
Paano niya napapanatiling positibo ang kanyang pananaw sa kabila ng mga kritisismo sa kanila ni Toni?
Napabuntong-hininga si Direk Paul, “Ahhm, it’s really my family. It’s my wife and my son, you know. “Ahhh… I guess I would probably be affected if my personal life starts changing for the worse.
“But I really believe, I’m living my best life now. Ahh, and yeah I made some decisions that maybe some of my friends in the industry didn’t agree with.
“But so did they, you know. They made decisions too that I didn’t agree with. It’s two sides of the coin, e.
“But from my perspective, I feel like I’m at the best place right now, you know. And I’m not just saying it politically, I’m not just saying it because of my work.
“I’m just saying it… with my family. We’re at peace. And we choose to live at peace."
Dagdag pa niya, “And I believe naman that 2023, majority, maybe not all… I can’t speak for everyone, we’ll leave it behind.
“I really believe in the saying, ‘Let’s live in the present working together for a greater future.’ I think that’s all we can really do.
“Whatever happened yesterday, ten, twenty, thirty years ago… it’s in the past. And let’s just let the experiences and opportunities that we have now and tomorrow and the next ten years, let’s work on that. Sayang, e.
“At least for me. I mean, again, at least I speak for myself you know. I speak for myself. Ahh, everyone has their own philosophies.
“But I feel I wanna spend my time on the now. Parang sayang if I keep dwelling… you know, I’m not saying we forget the past. I’m not saying we don’t learn from it.
“I mean, we are all where we are today because of the decisions we made in the past. All of us, right?
“And we are all ahhh… you know, we all have to face the consequences of the decisions we made, good or bad.
“Ahh, you know I made mistakes. I failed many times. I’m also not Mr. Positive all the time.
“But you know, the simple joys, like seeing my son happy, you know, ahh bringing him to school, you know, having interesting, engaging conversations.
“I think that’s why I feel like I’m living my best life now.”
UNBOTHERED?
Maaari bang i-describe siya na "unbothered"?
Napangiti si Direk Paul, “Parang popular yung ‘unbothered,’ ah? Ahhm, you know, I think it would be… I would be hypocrite if I say I’m not bothered.
“I am bothered every day, you know, and I think that’s what keeps me going. I don’t know it all. I’m not Superman and say, ‘Yes, sige! Hate me, hate me, hate me, OK lang ako.’
“I also have my feelings. I have my emotions. But you know, the greatest leaders… the greatest filmmakers, artists in the world… are some of the most criticized, some of the most hated people.
“And I think that’s what make great work, e. If you study and I always kinda go to this metaphor, how is the diamond made?
“Diamond is made through the hardest pressure, fire, burning. And then comes the most beautiful stone in the world.
“And I learned to embrace it also, e. Because sometimes your critics are also right. Especially when it comes to film, or the arts.
“I don’t know it all. And I never want to tell people that I know it all. So, ahh, I’m very bothered but I’m also very motivated.
“Very excited and very challenged to hopefully in the next six years do some of my best work.”
COLLABARORATION BETWEEN PAUL AND TONI
Nagsanib-puwersa ang Ten17 ni Paul at TinCan ni Toni sa pagpoprodyus ng Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) 2022 official entry na My Teacher.
“Parang it’s a marriage. A literal marriage kasi, of course, yung brand ko naman, Ten17, and then of course si Tin, TinCan,” lahad ni Direk Paul.
“So, parang… we’re collaborating. It’s the first time Ten17 and TinCan are coming together to make a film.”
Bida sa pelikulang My Teacher si Toni at ang idol-mentor niyang si Joey de Leon, at si Direk Paul ang direktor.
Second time ito na idinirek ni Direk Paul si Toni. Ang unang pelikula ni Direk Paul ay ang A Journey Home (2009) na pinagbidahan nina Toni, Joem Bascon, at Soliman Cruz. Hindi pa sila kasal noon.
Kaya itong My Teacher ang first time nilang magtrabaho together sa isang movie bilang direktor at artista na married couple.
Kuwento ni Direk Paul, “So, yung companies namin, married. Kami, married. So that’s why very special ang My Teacher sa amin.
“But you know , working with Toni, she’s the ultimate professional. So when we get to the set, she treats me director, di ba?
“Of course, may konting ganun-ganun, pero of course the set was very light naman. Light ang set, Tito Joey pa was there, Ronnie [Alonte] and Loisa [Andalio].
“But professional si Toni. I just told her, ‘Be prepared.’ Ganun naman yan, sometimes pa, we’ll ride together to the set, di ba. Like pag same call time tayo, di ba?
“Ganyan, I mean, it was actually a wonderful experience because of course, di ba, people always say, di ba, kapag husband and wife working together, there might be a chance para mag-away.
“In this case, it was the opposite. It was a smooth working relationship and when we go home, we’ll actually talk about the scenes.
“Sometimes si Toni magre-rewrite. ‘I felt we can do this more,’ di ba. Then we’ll call Tito Joey. So, parang it felt like a family, e.
“Si Tito Joey was like our father figure on the set, di ba, and of course we were learning from him. I think the most exciting kuwentos about shooting this film was yung lunch break, dinner break.
“Kasi, maraming kuwento si Tito Joey, di ba. The old industry, the past. So we got to learn a lot. I learned so much from Joey de Leon.”
Mas madali ba ang creative collaboration nila ni Toni ngayong mag-asawa na sila?
“Creative collaborations are never easy. I think, if a creative collaboration is easy, there’s something wrong,” pananalig ni Direk Paul.
“I think the best ideas, the best concepts become when you have debate, when you have spars. Me and my wife, we have a lot of debates.
“We would disagree on things, you know. So I would give her her take, I’ll get my take. Even with Joey de Leon, he was, ‘Direk, can I try this joke?’
“Then parang, oh, it works pala. But sometimes it doesn’t work. But then that’s how I am as a creative collaborator. I don’t mandate, ‘OK, just this way!’
“I’m open as long as we’re within the budget, within the time. So with my wife, we had a lot of disagreements.
“But I think what you will see in My Teacher is the result of that. Because of our disagreements, we’re able to make the best movie that we can.
“Of course Joey was a major collaborator also on this project. So yeah you need to have a little bit of tension when you have creative debates, and I love it actually because I’m not always right.
“And sometimes also you need to listen and humble yourself and say, ‘Tama ka, Toni, you’re right.’
“And of course, as we all know, the wife is always right, di ba?”
CELEBRITY PARENTS
Parehong celebrity na working parent sina Toni at Direk Paul. Paano nila dini-divide ang kanilang oras lalo na’t meron silang anak?
“We have to make time talaga. It’s an effort to make time and Toni and I know 100 percent our priority is family,” tugon ng 41-anyos na director-producer.
“And that of course is Seve. He’s six years old now so medyo active na, aware na siya what’s going on, di ba?
“Like, ‘Mommy, why do people know your name? Why do people want to take pictures with you?’ Di ba, mga ganun. So Toni is telling him na, you know, ‘Your mom is an actress, a celebrity. Your dad is a director.’
“So medyo very, very curious na yang si Seve. So we make time you know. Toni and I make time.
“So if there are days na busy si Toni, I try to make time na ako. I still make time to drop him off in school, or pick him up from school. Same with Toni.
“So, teamwork talaga. And Toni and I look at each other and say, ‘We cannot let our professional life distract us from what means the world to us and that’s our son. And of course our immediate family as well.
“So yan, make time talaga. We have to make time.”