‘Captivated’ at the premiere

FDCP Chair Briccio Santos and French Ambassador Gilles Garachon at the “Captive” premiere, part of the French Film Festival ongoing at Shangri-La Plaza Mall.

VIPs from show biz, politics and the diplomatic corps graced the sneak preview of Brillante Mendoza’s “Captive,” on Saturday at the Citi-Rustan’s French Film Festival, ongoing at the Shangri-La Plaza Mall.

Present at the event were French Ambassador Gilles Garachon; Christian Merer, cultural counselor, French embassy; Briccio Santos, chair of the Film Development Council of the Philippines; Sen. Loren Legarda; and Mary Grace Poe-Llamanzares, chair of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board.

BRILLANTE Mendoza speaks before the screening: “I hope that, with this movie, our voice will be heard.”

The film is based on the real-life abduction of foreigners and Filipinos by the Abu Sayyaf. Among Mendoza’s guests at the premiere was broadcaster Ces Drilon, who was kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf in 2008.

After the screening, Drilon told Mendoza that the film hit close to home. “The ants! They were very frightful. I had a very similar encounter with a young warrior, too. This is [bound to be] another controversial film.”

BROADCAST journalist Ces Drilon with filmmaker Brillante Mendoza, bound by a story that has to be told.

Karen Davila, Drilon’s colleague over at ABS-CBN, was also present, as were the film’s stars Angel Aquino and Madeleine Nicolas, and journalist Arlyn de la Cruz; and actors Raquel Villavicencio, Marife Necesito, Soliman Cruz and Angie Ferro.

Two National Artists were present, too: Bienvenido Lumbera and F. Sionil Jose. Bayani San Diego Jr.