Brillante film selected to compete in Berlin filmfest

Brillante Ma. Mendoza INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–After nearly three decades, a Filipino film, Brillante Ma. Mendoza’s “Captive,” will compete in the main section of the Berlin International Film Festival, which will be held in the German capital from Feb. 9 to 19, 2012.

Mendoza, who is in Mindanao doing research for another project, told the Inquirer in a phone interview Tuesday that he’s happy to be included among the first five films selected for the festival—along with such high-profile Oscar contenders as Zhang Yimou’s “The Flowers of War” (Out of Competition), and Stephen Daldry’s “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” (Out of Competition).

Mendoza said it’s important to join a festival known as one of the biggest film markets in the world—second only to Cannes. “The Philippines will gain the attention not only of festival-goers, but of film distributors and producers from all over the world.”

Mendoza’s “Captive,” which top-bills French actress Isabelle Huppert with Filipino actors Ronnie Lazaro, Raymond Bagatsing, Angel Aquino and Sid Lucero, among others, will have its world premiere at the German fest, alongside Antonio Chavarrias’ “Dictado” from Spain and Edwin’s “Postcards From the Zoo” from Indonesia. (Other entries in the main competition will be announced later.)

He said that Huppert, an icon in world cinema, was pleased upon learning the good news. “We had a private screening of the film in Paris, France, last Dec. 12 and she said she was happy with the final cut.”
“Captive,” formerly titled “Prey,” tells the story of a foreign aid worker (Huppert) who gets kidnapped, along with Filipinos, by bandit groups in Mindanao.

“If I’m not mistaken, the last time the country competed in the main section of Berlin was 29 years ago, with Ishmael Bernal’s ‘Himala,’” he recalled.

Mendoza himself won the Caligari Prize in Berlin’s Forum section for “Tirador” in 2008. In 2009, he won best director at the Cannes International Film Festival for “Kinatay.”

“Being included in the main competition of a major festival will help boost awareness on Filipino cinema. It’ll make global audiences regard Filipino films more seriously. It will open doors to other Filipino filmmakers as well,” he said.

Mendoza related that another Filipino film, Rommel Tolentino’s “Nono,” is included in the Generation section of Berlin.

“Before festival-goers were only curious about Filipino films. With these developments, we are building an audience for our films. My wish is that Filipino films would be the first on the must-watch list of festival-goers—in the same way that Iranian or Korean films are their priorities.”

Mendoza, however, was quick to point out that joining festivals is only the first step.

“We shouldn’t make films just for festivals,” he noted. “It shouldn’t end there. We should aim for a bigger audience, for a wider release in commercial theaters.”

Berlin, he explained, is a “major market attended by numerous distributors, producers and other top industry leaders.”

“If a film is shown in A-list festivals like Berlin, Cannes and Venice, it can attract potential buyers from all over the world,” he said.

Case in point: Mendoza’s “Lola,” which top-billed Anita Linda and Rustica Carpio and which premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in 2009, had a commercial run in France last year.

“‘Lola’ was also shown in nine cities in Brazil this year. It’s the first time that a Filipino film had a theatrical run in Brazil,” he said.

Mendoza, who recently served as juror at the Marrakech film festival, met Hollywood actors Sigourney Weaver (star of the “Alien” franchise) and Jessica Chastain (Brad Pitt’s co-star in “The Tree of Life”) in Morocco.

“We had the chance to chat about Isabelle and ‘Captive.’ Sigourney jokingly said that I should cast her in my next film. Jessica said she idolizes Isabelle and would want to work with me, too.”

Mendoza and Huppert will grace the Berlin red carpet, of course.

Has Mendoza shopped for winter clothes for Berlin 2012 yet?

“I haven’t thought about that yet. I’m on a boat headed to Tawi-Tawi, as we speak,” he quipped. “All I have with me now are summer clothes.”