Scene from “Huling Palabas”
The indie movie “Huling Palabas” is not a BL (boys love) drama and the controversial butt exposure scenes weren’t placed there “merely for shock value,” according to its writer-director Ryan Machado.
“People assume that it’s a BL story from the get-go because the film seemed to have that trajectory at the start. They expect that something romantic will happen between the two leads when, realistically, there’s none. They’re just friends and their relationship is purely platonic. That’s also what we wanted to clear up,” Ryan told Inquirer Entertainment in a recent virtual chat.
The film is about a young boy named Andoy (Shun Mark Gomez), who is in search of answers to two important questions: Who he is and who his father is. His childhood best friend, Pido (Bon Andrew Lentejas), in a way, joins him in his journey. The film won Ryan the Best Director award and Bon, the Best Supporting actor honor, at the recently concluded 19th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival.
Bon said he made sure to really understand Pido’s relationship with Andoy prior to filming. “I learned from reading the script that Andoy is at a point in his life when he is trying to understand his sexuality. Pido is aware of Andoy’s yearnings, of his friend’s silent battles, but he just keeps quiet. They’re very close, but their love is platonic,” he explained.
Not just for shock value
Ryan said the butt exposure scenes of actors Shun Mark and Jay Gonzaga, as Julio, were “important in the journey of Andoy. We didn’t merely show some skin for shock value or to create buzz,” Ryan declared. “We also made sure the scenes were done in a safe space and that there was consent from the actors. There was also an intimacy coordinator (Regina de Vera) to make sure that the actors were comfortable and that their rights were protected.”
Ryan was convinced that he earned the judges’ nod for best director “because our overall vision for the film was achieved. I know this wouldn’t be possible if not for the people behind the production, especially Theo Lozada, our cinematographer. He knew what my intentions were as director, so he made sure that this would be translated into the film. Jerome Canlas, our assistant director and creative producer, blocked all the scenes. Our production designer, David Esguerra, was also a big help. All I had to do was make sure all the scenes were laid out well,” Ryan pointed out.
Ryan Machado —CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS
Just like Bon, who dedicated his award to the family of the late actor JM Canlas, Ryan acknowledged the great support of the Canlas family to the project. JM’s brother Jerom is a creative producer of “Huling Palabas.”
“In fact, the whole Canlas family was there during our fundraising, including Elijah, who agreed to take part in the stage reading for free. While we were doing sound design, we heard about what happened to JM. Everyone was shocked,” recalled Ryan. “During the gala night, we tried to celebrate the film but, at the same time, we were aware that their family was mourning.”
Ryan said the production team dedicated the movie to JM and included his name in the credits.
As of press time, Ryan is in Looc, Romblon, where the film was shot in its entirety. He is finalizing the film’s public screening schedules in the area. “I want to tour the movie on the island. I want them to experience the movie, which we made for them,” he said, adding that his team has already started sending applications for the film to participate in various international film festivals.
Bon Andrew Lentejas
Bon said he felt extremely proud of being part of the film. “I’m thankful that Direk Ryan brought me to Romblon with him. I’m excited for the community there that adopted me. Soon, people from other countries will be able to see the beauty of Romblon, and hopefully, they will find it interesting enough to come and explore the place,” he said. INQ