Cannes winner Brillante Mendoza touches base with audiences

It would have been unthinkable six years ago, but Cannes-winning independent filmmaker Brillante Ma. Mendoza is now welcomed, feted and mobbed like a rock star in mall-based cinemas across the country.

Apart from visiting San Fernando (Pampanga) and Marawi City (Lanao del Sur) as part of the Film Development Council of the Philippines’ Sineng Pambansa activities, Mendoza has joined mall giant SM in mounting a retrospective of his works.

First stop in the series was SM San Fernando (Mendoza’s hometown), in December 2010. This year so far, he has visited SM malls in Cebu, Quezon City (North Edsa), Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo and Baguio. Next stop is Bacolod (October 11 and 12). More cities are lined up for next year.

Mendoza said he makes it a point to participate in outreach and film literacy programs because it allows him to touch base with young viewers. “My discussions with the students are becoming more and more stimulating,” he said. “They actively participate in the open forum after each screening. They really show interest in movies.”

Hungry for interaction

Most of the questions revolve around ideas and values, he recounted, but some students are actually curious about the filmmaking process. “They are hungry for interaction,” he noted.

Since the mall chain has an anti-“R”-18 policy, only Mendoza’s “PG” films can be shown in its cineplexes. “Part of the retro are ‘Kaleldo,’ ‘Manoro,’ ‘Foster Child’ and ‘Lola,’” Mendoza said. “But my ‘R’-rated films, ‘Serbis’ and ‘Kinatay,’ are screened in nearby schools.”

Fully supported by the local government, SM is collaborating with leading colleges and universities as well.

“In Iloilo, ‘Kinatay’ and ‘Serbis’ were screened in UP,” said Mendoza. “The local mayors rolled out the red carpet for us.”

After returning from the SM tour in Iloilo on Aug. 26, Mendoza spent only a day in Manila before proceeding to Paris to put the finishing touches on his latest work, “Prey,” which features French actress Isabelle Huppert and Filipino actors led by Ronnie Lazaro, Raymond Bagatsing and Sid Lucero.

‘Prey’ in Berlin?

“In Paris, I supervised the post-production of ‘Prey,’ which ran at two hours and three minutes,” he related. “I also met with my French coproducers to finalize our plans for the film.”

As of now, there is talk of submitting “Prey” in Berlin or Cannes 2012, though Mendoza said there is nothing definite yet.

One thing’s for sure, Mendoza is continuing his support for the antimining campaign in Palawan.

Apart from an omnibus documentary (with fellow indies Auraeus Solito, Raya Martin and Pepe Diokno), Mendoza has directed an episode of the ABS-CBN drama anthology “Maalaala Mo Kaya,” which discussed the subject.

“It stars Angel Aquino, Maria Isabel Lopez and Yul Servo,” he said.  “It will be aired next month. We will hold a gala premiere for that MMK episode at Greenbelt on October 5.”

On the big screen, he has three films in the works—including one that will take him to the United States.

“I will go on an immersion program for a few months. I’m excited about these new projects,” he said.

Also in the pipeline is a retrospective in Manchester, United Kingdom (September 30), after retros in Amsterdam (the Netherlands), Brussels (Belgium), Ljubljana (Slovenia) and Zagreb (Croatia) last year.

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