Janice at her bravest in ‘Ringgo’

JANICE de Belen and Sandino Martin in “Ringgo”

Janice de Belen is a butch.

That is, in her latest film “Ringgo: The Dog-shooter,” where she had to cut her hair short, sport tattoos and do a bed scene with another actress.

“Janice is at her bravest and fiercest in this film,” said director Rahyan Carlos. “I know she wasn’t comfortable with her intimate scenes with (costar) Liza Diño, but she did it for the project.”

“Ringgo: The Dog-shooter” is a finalist in the Filipino New Cinema category of the 2016 World Premieres Film Festival (WPFF), which will be held from June 29 to July 10 at Cinematheque Center in Ermita, Manila, and in selected cinemas in Metro Manila.

It is a the story of a 16-year-old dog-shooter—a person who assists in dog mating by making sure that, in the process, no sperm is wasted.

The film tells the journey of dog-shooter Ringgo (portrayed by Sandino Martin), dog-breeder Bong (Janice) and doberman Inca.

The director said he initially considered Aiza Seguerra for the role of Bong, but thought otherwise. “She and Sandino would merely look like siblings, not mother and child. There’s an all-important scene in the movie where Sandino lies on Janice’s lap,” he said. Rahyan also thought of casting Judy Ann Santos, but the award-winning actress got pregnant at the time the film was in its production stage, he added.

“A colleague asked me, ‘Have you seen Janice lately?’ When she acted in an episode in ‘Ipaglaban Mo,’ she was already sporting short hair. I didn’t want my actors to wear wigs, so Janice only had to cut her hair a little shorter (for the film). I sent the script to her manager, Popoy Caritativo, and immediately got positive feedback.”

Apparently, Janice was looking for a material that was challenging and different from her usual roles on television, said Rahyan. “I didn’t have a hard time with Janice. She didn’t mind arriving on the set two hours earlier to have her fake tattoos drawn … or working till the wee hours of the morning. She was game. Her pegs were Aiza and producer Aya Topacio. She’s a butch here.”

With the film, Rahyan said he hoped not only to orient his audience with what dog-shooters do, but also tackle issues currently encountered by the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community. “It’s a dark drama that also tackles healing and redemption. It tells us that one doesn’t need to be straight to be a loving parent. The characters of Sandino and Janice aren’t blood-related, but the movie shows their Madonna-and-child relationship.”

The struggles in the relationship of a homosexual couple will also be tackled in the film.

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