‘Amok’ in Pasay Rotonda: What were they thinking?

‘LAW’S DREAM MOVIE’ The bustling and sweltering Pasay Rotonda serves as main setting for filmmaker Law Fajardo’s “Amok,” which tackles interconnected destinies. PHOTO FROM ADCORNER.PH

Filmmaker Lawrence Fajardo, who describes himself as a probinsyano, says his action-drama movie “Amok” is based on his perception of city life.

“Sa city, parang ang hirap makahinga at gumalaw. Paranoid ako lagi na baka kung ano’ng mangyari,” Lawrence—Law to friends—said during an open forum after the film’s screening at the Inquirer offices in Makati last week.

Law, 34, is from Bacolod, where he studied film and theater at the University of St. La Salle. He apprenticed with filmmaker Peque Gallaga, as well as Lore Reyes and Erik Matti. “Amok,” Law’s first full-length film entry to the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, won for him the best editing award this year. The movie also won the best sound trophy for Mike Idioma and Adis Tabong.

The bustling and sweltering Pasay Rotonda serves as main setting for “Amok,” which tackles interconnected destinies. The fates of otherwise unrelated characters are sealed by an enraged man’s stray bullets.

“Amok,” which has been invited for exhibition (Windows on Asia section) at the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea in October, features an ensemble that is exemplary by all measures: Mark Gil, Noni Buencamino, Garry Lim, Efren Reyes Jr., Spanky Manikan, Dido de la Paz, Archi Adamos, Ermie Concepcion, Lui Manansala, Patricia Ismael, Tuxs Rutaquio, John Arceo, Ku Aquino, Roli Inocencio, Acey Aguilar, Amante Pulido, Nico Antonio, Lowell Conales, Ivy Rivero, Xavi Hemady, Wovi Villanueva, Bryan Cabase, Akira Sapla, Michelle Nollora.

Law attended the PDI screening, with coproducer Tess Aquino, writer John Bedia and actors Suzette Ranillo, Garry Lim, Ku Aquino and Roli Inocencio.

How difficult was it to make this movie?

LAW: Sobrang hirap. Klaro na sa akin ang pelikula, ang mga shots, design and treatment, pero hindi clear at first how to mount it dahil sa sobrang dami ng tao at mga sasakyan. Though we had a permit—four of them, from four barangays involved—’di namin kontrolado ang mga tao. ’Di naman namin binayaran ang buong Pasay para mag-shoot.

How much did you have to improvise?

LAW: May compromise sa ibang bagay, like locations, basta pasok sa geography. Preproduction pa lang, alam na ng mga actors—kung baga sa stage—kung stage right sila or stage left.

How familiar are you with Pasay Rotonda?

LAW: Taga-Cubao po ako.

Why didn’t you set it in Cubao?

JOHN: Kasi ’yung intersection sa Pasay Rotonda, kitang kita ang metaphors—metaphor sa street, sa buhay. Nagtagpo-tagpo ang mga buhay nila.

LAW: I was line producer for an earlier movie, “Rotonda,” by Ron Bryant. Same setting. Mark Gil was also in that film. “Amok” is Ron’s concept as much as mine. We had a screenplay already. When John came in, we revised and revised, inabot ng nine drafts, with the help of Paul Sta. Ana.

JOHN: I noticed some scenes that I felt we couldn’t put across, so it was a major overhaul.

For the actors, was it difficult working in a place like Pasay?

GARRY: May crowd control naman, and the tanods were a big help.

Was there a risk to your lives at any point?

TESSA: Wala naman. We felt protected.

LAW: Ang galing magbantay ng mga tanod!

ROLI: We practically had blanket authority over Pasay Rotonda. Kahit saan ilagay ni Law ang DOP [director of photography], si Louie Quirino, walang sumisita. That credit goes to the producers. It also helped that we were unknowns. It would have been different with big stars.

LAW: May isang eksena si Garry, siniko ’yong isang taong dumaan, di naman actor.

JOHN: ’Yung crowd doon na nanonood, totoo ’yon, hindi planted. Feeling nila, talagang may nangyayari doon.

We heard you ran into storms, too.

JOHN: Yes, seven in all. We were to shoot for 12 days. We took two months.

TESSA: We needed really hot days.

ROLI: That’s the magic of filmmaking. I had a scene on Day 1. The next one was shot a month after. Ang haba na ng buhok ko, iba na ang tubo ng bigote ko.

GARRY: Tiniis ko ang Mohawk hairdo ko for many weeks.

Ku, you’re so credible as a gay-basher. Are you homophobic?

KU: I could be. I’ve been receiving death threats (laughs).

But how did you convince Mark Gil to do that graphic bed scene?

LAW: Wala pa ang ibang cast, si Mark andyan na. The plan was, Mark’s role would be the continuation of his role in “Rotonda.”

We love that one of the actors spoke in Cebuano.

LAW: He’s from Bacolod, pero marunong mag-Bisaya. Di naman lahat ng tao, nagta-Tagalog.

There was one part when we heard five things happening at the same time. That was really good, sound-wise.

LAW: Siguro naka-30 tracks kami to achieve that. Sabi ko kay Adis (Tabong), ’di ko kailangan ng malinis na sound, I need noise… para ma-simulate talaga ang Pasay Rotonda.

GARRY: Na-achieve din ni Direk na mag-fit in ang mga actors sa setting na ’yon.

So you all would do another movie with Law and John?

ROLI: I would disrobe for Lawrence Fajardo (laughs). Ikaw, Garry, ano’ng kaya mong gawin?

GARRY: Bigla akong napaisip. Hindi ko alam!

KU: Anytime.

Was Mark’s character based on a real-life actor?

KU: Kuhang-kuha n’ya ang character ng stunt man.

JOHN: N’ong nag-usap kami ni Law, has-been action star talaga ang character ni Mark.

LAW: Yes, we were clear about the characters. May isang mag-a-amok na ’di mo aakalain, basta nag-snap na lang. May matandang lalaking ex-police na puwede kang patayin anytime… pero ang backstories, di kailangang ikuwento through long dialogues.

Suzette, how did you end up doing the movie?

SUZETTE: Law said this was his dream project. I wanted to share that dream and make it happen.

That’s why you’re also a coproducer.

SUZETTE: Yes, but we discussed this last year pa.

What was it like for you, shooting in Pasay Rotonda?

SUZETTE: Ang daming tao! I didn’t think Law could pull it off but he did—we did! (Filmmaker) Mario O’Hara said ang ganda ng film na ito, that it would go places. I’m very proud to be in it.

GARRY: Crossing Edsa was terrible.

LAW: The ending, the death scene… we were excited… paano ba i-shoot ’yon?

(The scene called for characters to be downed by stray bullets one after the other, as the amok runs around the rotonda.)

SUZETTE: Maraming nagtakbuhan, akala nila, totoo.

KU: Marami ring naglabasan ng kutsilyo, ’yung mga tao on the road sides.

GARRY: I was holding a knife (for the scene), pero ako ang natakot. I kept saying, “Shooting po ito, shooting lang po (laughs).”

How much did this film cost?

TESSA: Rough estimate, less than P3 million.

ROLI: Oh, we came cheap! Saka ang maganda kay Direk, kasi editor din siya, he was already editing as we were shooting.

GARRY: May times nga, ang mga actors, pinapauwi na lang, ’di binabayaran kasi ’di natuloy ang shoot. May nagtanong sa akin, “Garry pa’no ito?” Sabi ko, “Indie film ito. If you really want to work with Direk Law, kayanin mo ’yan.” N’ong sinabi ni Direk, “Kulang na talaga ang pera,” sabi ko, “Direk, tapusin na lang natin ito, kahit sa susunod na mga araw ’wag mo na akong bayaran.” Sabi ni Dido (De la Paz)“Direk, ’di ko kayang gawin ’yon. Doon ako kumukuha ng pang-kain ko.”

ROLI: Ang malas naman ni Acey (Aguilar) dahil pagkatapos ng eksena n’ya, nabayaran siya ng talent fee, pero nawala. Either he dropped it or nadukutan siya.

Siya lang ba ang nawalan?

LAW: Nanakawan ako ng hard drive sa bag pero wala namang important files.

GARRY: ’Yong area naman kasi…

LAW: May eksena do’n sa opening montage, may mga babaeng nagtitinda sa fruit stand na nag-aaway, totoo ’yon. Nanonood sila sa shoot, ’yong eksena ni Efren Reyes Jr., nagkasanggaan sila. Nagalit ang isa, sabi niya, “Bakit mo ’ko pinapaurong e stall ko ito?” Sagot n’ong isa, “Asawa ako ng tanod!”

GARY: Ang daming totoong nangyayari on the side that we had no choice but to react to, on the spot.

LAW: ’Yong bossing sa bus station, muntik pa makaaway ni Dido. Nainis sila sa amin kasi disruptive daw kami.

JOHN: Bus station kasi talaga ’yon. Every five to 10 minutes, may dumarating at umaalis. Delayed ang ibang trips nila because of us.

So, congratulations, you’re going to Busan.

LAW: Excited kaming lahat.

ROLI: Pero si Direk lang ang subsidized ng festival organizers.

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