‘GomBurZa’ star Cedrick Juan on making films that truly matter

Juan on the set of “Lock and Lockdown”

It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I grabbed it,” said Cedrick Juan, who landed the role of martyr Padre Jose Burgos in what is expected to be one of the biggest event films this year, the biopic “GomBurZa.”

The film, directed by Pepe Diokno and produced by Jesuit Communications (JesCom), also features Dante Rivero and Enchong Dee as priests Mariano Gomez and Jacinto Zamora, respectively.

“In the beginning, they asked me to audition as one of the sergeants. I was able to read the entire script and found the character of Padre Burgos really interesting. I also learned the great importance of the three priests in the history of the Philippines. Their actions started the awakening of our identity as Filipinos,” Cedrick told Inquirer Entertainment recently.

Final casting call

“The script was so beautifully written by Sir Rody Vera. In my mind, I had also wished to be given the chance to at least do a script reading of Burgos,” he added. “I didn’t really do anything about this wish because I thought the producers would surely give the role to a bigger artist, since Philippine entertainment is realistically fan-based. I was surprised when, two days later, I got a message that said, ‘Ced, can you also read Padre Burgos?’”

Later, Cedrick learned that the production team was still undecided on who to cast for the role. “They said they couldn’t find someone that clicked. I saw this as a good chance for me, so I took all the lessons I picked up from theater through the years—the improv, the props at tinodo ko na!” he recalled.

In January, Cedrick was invited to attend the final casting call. “In situations like that, you would expect to see at least four or five artists ready to play the role, but were there for hours and there was no one else but me. I performed the prison cell scene of Burgos for Direk Pepe, Direk Bombi (Plata, acting coach) and the people of JesCom Films. After that, Direk Pepe asked me, ‘Do you want to do Padre Burgos?’ I said, ‘Oo naman!’

They shot the film from February to April. “I still couldn’t believe that the role eventually landed on my lap. For someone who has been acting for 10 years, since my years in Dulaang UP, it was only now that I was given a role this big. It’s not just a role, actually, but an important moment in our history. I really hope everyone gets to see the movie,” Cedrick declared.

After completing this all-important project, Cedrick then jumped to another film that he thought was equally significant—Allan Brocka’s “Love and Lockdown,” which is the first film to feature a Filipino transgender man.

“I’m proud of Direk Allan for pushing for discourse on representation. I played a transgender named Erika in ‘Die Beautiful’ long before I became knowledgeable about the subject. What’s great about Direk Allan is that he chose a real-life transman to play the lead,” said Cedrick of lead actor Gian Cruz.

In the movie, a Canadian transman reluctantly returns to the Philippines with his British-Indian girlfriend (played by Bairavi Manoharan) for a quick trip to correct his passport. The pandemic lockdown traps them in the small village where he was born, meaning he must confront his family, his past, his relationship and himself.

Allan is the nephew of the late National Artist for Film Lino Brocka.

Struggles of transmen

“The film aims to show the struggles of transmen not just here in the Philippines, but globally. Direk Allan wanted the audience to embrace the character. Getting Gian to do it makes it more realistic, organic. He is not just an idea. He is someone with feelings and experiences,” Cedrick told Inquirer Entertainment during our visit to the set of “Love and Lockdown” in Tanay, Rizal.

“We need to be inclusive. If we have no idea what a person is going through, it’s unfair to push them away. We also need to educate people to make them realize that love knows no gender. You can love whoever you want to love, be it a man, woman or someone from the LGBTQIA+ community. Love isn’t just for straight people,” he said.