Cast of Busan-bound ‘Nino’ drops by to chat

The cast of the award-winning indie film “Niño” had to follow director Loy Arcenas’ strict orders: Rehearse 10 to 20 times before the cameras started rolling.

Lead actors Fides Cuyugan-Asencio, Raquel Villavicencio and Shamaine Centenera-Buencamino made this revelation during an open forum after the film’s screening at the Inquirer offices in Makati on Tuesday. They were joined by Loy, writer Rody Vera and actor Noni Buencamino.

“This was quite different from the other films I’ve done because Loy rehearsed too many times,” said Shamaine. “I was wondering how it would come out—fresh or too  ‘mannered’ already.”

Fides herself had to do a dinner scene repeatedly, in which she reacts to a revelation made by the character played by Joaquin Valdez. “Loy made me do it nine times,” she said. “In the end, I was laughing like Sisa. Guess what? He used the first take!”

“Niño” is the story of a once-illustrious family dealing with hard times. Fides plays Celia, one-time darling of Philippine opera, now caregiver to brother Gaspar (Tony Mabesa), a distinguished ex-congressman. Mounting debts drive Celia to sell her share of their mansion to ailing Gaspar, who slips into a coma. Hoping for a miracle, Celia dresses up her grandson Antony in Sto. Niño robes.

Home from the United States, Gaspar’s daughter Raquel (Villavicencio) expresses her desire to sell the house, with Antony’s father Mombic (Art Acuña) offering a hand. Mombic’s sister Merced (Centenera) reluctantly takes everything in stride.

The film, winner of Cinemalaya 2011’s special jury prize, is the country’s entry to the New Currents section of this year’s Busan International Film Festival in South Korea in October.

Shamaine and New York-based actor Art Acuña won best supporting actress and best supporting actor awards, respectively.

Is it true that the dinner scene required 1,000 takes?

LOY: ’Di naman, just four to five hours.

How much of the singing was done live?

LOY: Everything was live. The humming chorus was taped in the studio. We just dubbed it. It was the humming chorus from “Madama Butterfly.”

FIDES: Whenever we have a question-and-answer forum, I am always asked to sing. I’d say, “Why? Do you want proof that I really sing still?” I’m 80 already…

LOY: Ayan ka na naman! Si Fides kasi, she sings and then she says, “By the way I’m 80 years old.”

FIDES: Nobody can sing the way I sing at my age, especially not coloratura sopranos.  Baritones can sing till they’re 90. I dare you to find anyone my age who can sing like I’m still singing.

What led you to this story and how were you inspired to gather this cast?

LOY: Rody and I really wanted to join Cinemalaya, but we didn’t have a story. The only thing we had going was the procession of the Sto. Niño, which I had seen on Roxas Boulevard. From that we developed the story. It was created in three days.

RODY: We were in Tagaytay. We kept saying, “Ano ba ang istorya?” And in the last hour before we left for Manila, he said, “May kakilala akong opera singer, kilala ko si Fides.”

LOY: When Fides said yes, we wondered again, “What’s the story?” This had nothing to do with the performance of Tony Mabesa, but at that time, I really wanted to cast Jose Mari Avellana. Rody and I had done a production of “Tatlong Maria.” We asked Jose Mari to play the doctor but when he got sick, Mario O’Hara took over the role. I told Rody, “We have to give him (Avellana) a role.” Rody said, “E di magkasakit yung [character] para nakahiga lang siya sa kama.” That’s how the Gaspar role came about.

I told Rody to give him one big scene, then he could just be in bed the whole time. He was going to play the role but his daughters said he should not. Three weeks before the actual shooting, he backed out so we had to scramble. (Avellana died of aneurysm in June. He was 70.)

I also wanted very much to work with Shamaine and Raquel. We knew we had to have a Sto. Niño so we cast the boy (Jhiz Deocareza). I had also worked with Art Acuña before. I said, “It’s interesting that Raquel should be eight years older than Art. What could happen?” I swear, that was how the story came about.

RODY: This is Raquel’s first “bold” movie. She did it for the sake of art— Art Acuña.

LOY: Pero may requirement ’yon. She said, “I’ll do the [bold] scene pero walang kissing.” While we were shooting, I thought, “How do we make this work?” So I said, “Art, just do anything to her knee. As long as you don’t touch her lips, okay na ’yon (laughs).”

FIDES: You know, that’s more erotic. You already know where it’s going after that.

Raquel, how did you prepare for that scene? Did you ask permission from your children?

I didn’t tell them because I knew it would be a big issue. I didn’t sleep for a month before and a month after [the shoot]. It was my first time. I was worried because, in Rody’s script, napaka-graphic ng description niya. He wrote na nag-uusap kami ni Art “in between kisses.” Oh my God! I had to ask Loy to come to the house one day and discuss that love scene. My daughter overheard us talking, nag-react agad. She said, “What bed scene, Mama?”

So finally when we started shooting, I still didn’t know what Loy was going to ask Art to do. I was really very tense, very stiff in that love scene. I wish I had gotten drunk para wala na akong pakialam. It was traumatic. Gan’on pala ang love scene. Can you imagine ’yung mga naghuhubad? But when you see the result naman…

LOY: There was an even sexier take but we decided not to use it because you (Raquel) were about to hit Art’s head already. Her eyes were saying, “One more inch Art at sasampalin na kita (laughs).”

RAQUEL: Kasi dahan-dahang umaakyat ang kamay niya. I couldn’t cut the scene. Sabi ko, “Ano na ba ang ginagawa nito? Ang alam ko knee lang ang dapat, pero feel ko umaakyat na.”

Would you do another bold scene?

RAQUEL: Ang dami nang offers (laughs)!

Shamaine also has a bold scene.

SHAMAINE: Ako ang nag-volunteer mag-bold! Sa scene na minamasahe ako, I was wearing a shirt. Sabi ko ’di tama. I said I’ll take my shirt off. But then I was also wearing a bra… should I be wearing a bra?

Was it easy to gather all those singers for the finale?

LOY: They were mostly Fides’ friends.

FIDES: The guy in the wheelchair is no longer based in Manila. He just came for a vacation. We did the opera, “Noli Me Tangere,” in 1957. When I heard that he was in town, I said, “Perfect!” He’s Luisito San Esteban. Most of my contemporaries are either dead or can’t sing anymore.

How do you keep your body and voice in such great shape?

FIDES: Technique and clean living.

How do you feel that the film has won awards?

FIDES: I think the jury prize has more value (than the best picture award). International ’yung jury.

SHAMAINE: It’s strange, though— there’s also a best picture award. Who chose the best picture? Not the jury?

RAQUEL: I think ang jury prize parang first runner-up.

Who called you first to say congratulations?

FIDES: I was the one who made calls. “Hoy nanalo kami!” I called my children in the United States. Only one granddaughter has seen the movie. Then they all came for my birthday. I had a retrospect of all my works in UP. I think I’m going to apply for a Cinemalaya musical.

SHAMAINE: My kids and husband were all with me. I don’t think I called anyone. It was more like opening my Facebook and saying thanks to all those who congratulated me.

Does this inspire you to make more movies?

FIDES: No. What role could I do pa? I won’t mind doing bold if I were Raquel and Shamaine’s age. Then again, wala na akong inhibitions…

Rody, was it a conscious effort on your part to write complex roles for women that we seldom see in mainstream?

The peg for this story was really my previous works with  Loy — “Three Sisters” of Anton Chekhov. Loy said gusto niya gano’ng klaseng characters, interacting. Somehow the script also evolved. The  draft went through a number of revisions. First, with us, and then with the cast. In fact, marami silang binigay na suggestions.

SHAMAINE: We had so many readings and rehearsals.

RAQUEL: Like we’re doing a play. One time, Loy said, “Drop script na.” I thought, “may ganyan ba sa pelikula? ’Di ba sa theater lang ’yan?”

Was it also a conscious effort that they were all strong characters?

RODY: In the beginning, naka-focus kay Celia and the boy. Then nung nagdagdag kami ng characters, nasayangan kami kasi ang gagaling nila umarte. As the story was being developed, we realized that it wasn’t really just Celia, but also her interaction with the next generation. I really enjoyed the process.

Shamaine, how does it feel to get a substantial, challenging role?

It’s good. I’ve been joining indie films for a long time already and I started with small roles, tapos palaki nang palaki. Now this is  really quite a substantial character.

Is this your first award ever?

SHAMAINE: In Cinemalaya, yes. I won in Cinema One in 2007 (best actress, for “Prinsesa”). This would be my third, counting the award from the Cultural Center of the Philippines (Gawad Alternatibo) that Raquel and I share.

Where did you find that beautiful house that you used?

RODY: In Pandacan, Manila.

SHAMAINE: The credit goes to Loy’s eye. He would always spend time making sure everything looks good. Not all those things came with the house, though, except maybe the paintings and some of the fixtures.

What was your reaction when you saw the film for the first time?

SHAMAINE: Maganda naman siya. It’s just that it’s so different when you’re doing it. You notice all the little things, the scenes that were left out. May hinahanap ka. It’s really how the thing is edited.

Rody, are you happy with how the movie turned out?

RODY: Yes, because I was there from day one, until the subtitles were done.

SHAMAINE: Loy and Rody were so shocked to learn that it’s difficult to shoot a table scene. They had written six table scenes.

RODY: Nalaman ko na lang when the shoot started and Lee Meily (director of photography) said, “Pambihira naman. Ang daming dinner table scenes!”

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TAGS: Busan, cinema, Filipino, Independent Films