How not to be afraid to return to filming under new normal

Enzo Williams

Knowing about the virus and how to avoid it will keep us safe from it,” said film and TV director Enzo Williams on why going back to production work does not worry him even though a vaccine for the deadly COVID-19 has yet to be developed.

“I have been a front-­liner since April … I have helped distribute food packs in some of the most depressed areas in Metro Manila,” Enzo told Inquirer Entertainment. “Fortunately, I’ve managed to do this without getting infected by the virus. Ultimately, people need more knowledge about the virus, how it spreads and how it can be avoided. When you’re informed, then it becomes safer for everyone to return to normal operations in production.”

Enzo megged films like “Bonifacio: Ang Unang Pangulo,” “The Escort” and “AWOL,” as well as directed the long-running action-adventure TV series “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano” for more than two years.

While Luzon was in enhanced community quarantine, Enzo initiated the distribution of relief goods worth P6 million to over 3,000 families in his hometown San Juan, by teaming up with the Armed Forces of the Philippines and through donations from Asian Development Bank (ADB).

“When I felt the magnitude of the pandemic and its effects on less fortunate families, it ignited something inside me that compelled me to step up and do something. San Juan is where I grew up. A few barangays there still have families that need basic support just to survive,” he pointed out. “While I was doing voluntary work for the Army, they asked me how they can return the favor, so I asked for relief goods. Through Col. Pat Amata of the Philippine Army, and the donations by ADB, we were able to put together relief packa­ges that were then distributed throughout San Juan.”

By “voluntary work,” Enzo was referring to the 14-minute documentary “Bayan Bayanihan: We Heal As One” (https://youtu.be/jU-PY-z0q1k), which he directed. It chronicles the relief operations for 165,000 families throughout Metro Manila initiated by the AFP and ADB, which donated P250 million worth of relief goods.

Enzo’s involvement with the Philippine Army began in 2015 when he made the military movie “AWOL,” featuring Gerald Anderson and Raymond Bagatsing. “The AFP supported the project. Since then, I have been an advocate and a consultant to its causes,” Enzo explained.

“People who have the means to help should step up in times like these and pay the blessing forward,” Enzo said when asked what he learned from his personal “lockdown experience.” “It has taught me to be more human, I guess. It gave me a better purpose in life.”

Enzo studied film at Los Angeles City College. His first feature film, “Bonifacio: Ang Unang Pangulo,” earned him the Famas award for best director. INQ