Unang pelikula ng American actor na si Brandon Melo ang Take Me To Banaue na napapanood na ngayon via streaming sa www.takemetobanauefilm.com.
Ano ang pakiramdam ni Brandon ngayong napapanood na ang pelikula nila nina Maureen Wroblewitz at Thea Tolentino?
(Take Me To Banaue lead stars (L-R) Thea Tolentino, Brandon Melo and Maureen Wroblewitz)
“This is my first feature film which is extremely exciting,” umpisang paglalahad ni Brandon.
“It’s a big milestone for me as an actor, so yeah, I just can’t wait to share it with the rest of the world!
“And I have family in Portugal and all over the world, so they can finally see it and take it all in and be taken to Banaue.”
BRANDON READY FOR GLOBAL ACTING EXPOSURE
Nasa plano na ng mga producers ng Take Me To Banaue na isali sa iba-ibang international film festivals ang kanilang pelikula.
Handa raw si Brandon sakaling mas kilalanin pa siya bilang artista sa ibang mga bansa at mas lumawak ang sakop bilang isang international star.
“Yeah, this has been a life-changing experience,” bulalas ng guwapong American actor.
“I’m beyond thankful to be a part of this cast and crew, and to be able to share this story.
“Honestly, it’s been like a dream coming out here, it’s also like a vacation, you know, working with Danny and the rest of us, we’re like family now.
“We all talk to each other frequently and it’s such a big milestone, so I can’t wait to share it with the rest of the world,” sinabi pa rin ni Brandon.
Ang director/producer ng pelikula ay si Danny Aguilar, isang Filipino-American na naka-base sa Dallas, Texas sa USA at ito ang kanyang directorial debut.
BRANDON PROUD OF MOVIE’S “LOVE IS UNIVERSAL” THEME
Sa pelikula ay may love angle sa pagitan nina Brandon at Maureen. Aano ang maituturing ni Brandon na kaibahan ng pag-iibigan sa Pilipinas at sa Amerika?
(Maureen Wroblewitz and Brandon Melo)
Lahad ni Brandon, “In my opinion, all love is universal. It’s what our movie is about, right? Hank has his own quirks, he has Alexithymia, he has this numbness, right?”
Sa Take Me To Banaue ay may sakit si Hank, karakter ni Brandon, na Alexithymia na isang kundisyon kung saan may kakulangan ang isang tao sa kakayahang magpakita ng emosyon.
Pagpapatuloy pang sinabi ni Brandon, “And I think we can all relate after COVID, having you know, a bit of a disconnect, but I feel like this movie promotes that, you know, no matter your cultural differences, that you know, you can both share love no matter what.”
Nakausap ng PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal si Brandon sa red-carpet premiere ng Take Me To Banaue noong Pebrero 10 sa Cinema 2 ng EDSA Shangri-La Plaza.
BRANDON VISITS EXACT SPOT IN BANAUE RICE TERRACES WHERE THANOS ‘INFINITY WAR’ SCENE WAS SHOT
Ano ang paboritong eksena ni Brandon sa Take Me To Banaue at ano ang kuwento na maaari niyang ibahagi sa likod ng eksenang iyon?
“I have two that come to mind. The first of course is the big knife scene, just that being you know, the turning point in the whole narrative.
“That was just such an exciting thing that we, you know, prepped for quite a while, and that was also what I did my audition with, so I was quite comfortable with it.
“And shooting it on the day, doing all the action bits was quite exciting, so we practiced the day before and made sure that she didn’t actually stab me as much as she wanted to stab me, so yeah, that was my first,” ang nakangiting kuwento ni Brandon.
Dagdag pa niya, “And the second is actually when Hank finally finds Grace in Banaue, that moment was quite beautiful and just you know, taking the magic of Banaue is something that I’ve never experienced before.
“And you know, we hiked to get there and I found out actually, being a big Marvel fan, that it’s actually the same house that they shot Thanos’ scene in Avengers: Infinity War!
“So I was geeking out and like jumping around, so I was just like, ‘Oh my God, that’s where they shot the stuff!’
“So that was just exhilarating and that was also the day that I realized, you know, how different the crew was in comparison to some of the American productions that I had shot.
“Danny mentioned this a little bit briefly, but you know, some of the crew members were very enthusiastic about getting certain shots and Danny was trying to get the magic of the scene and without Danny even asking, some of the crew members took off their shoes and got into the mud, and for me I have never seen anything like that, just people so driven by the art and wanting to help others.
“And it was just such a beautiful moment and I’ll forever remember that. Such a special moment that encapsulates all of my Banaue experience and by the extension, the Philippines as a whole, it’s just such a nurturing and welcoming community that really… you can’t go anywhere else in the world and experience this type of love,” ang nakangiting kuwento pa ni Brandon.
Mula sa Carpe Diem Pictures, bukod kina Brandon, Maureen bilang Grace at Thea bilang Jinky, nasa pelikula rin sina Boobay, MJ Lastimosa at isa pang American actor na si Dylan Rogers.
Katuwang naman ni Danny sa pagsusulat ng screenplay ng Take Me To Banaue si Jason Rogers.
Line-produced ito ni Monch Bravante at ang setting ng kabuuan ng pelikula ay kinunan sa Baguio City at sa Banaue, Ifugao.