CINEMALAYA: Jamora realizes dream project
JAMORA. Puts premium on honesty. Photo from imdb.com
Music video and television commercial director, Marie Jamora, makes her feature-length directorial debut with “Ang Nawawala” at the 2012 Cinemalaya film fest.
She shares: “When I was young, I wanted to be a lawyer like my lolo and lola. When I was in high school, I wanted to be an architect, because I loved Lego. But, after my dad lent me his Video8 camera, something really special happened!”
At Ateneo, she took classes with directors, Marilou Diaz-Abaya and Uro dela Cruz. It was in the latter’s scriptwriting class that “Ang Nawawala” was developed. Jamora shares, “It’s a tale about ‘disorders.’ I brought the idea to film school (Columbia), and I then asked my cowriter, Ramon de Veyra, to write it for me.”
Music videos
She became a music-video director by accident: “Ely Buendia asked me to codirect Eraserheads’ ‘Maskara’ video, then Raimund Marasigan wanted me to be the director of Sandwich’s first music video—and Itchyworms also got me to direct their first video. So, it was an avalanche of music videos—and it never stopped!”
She has always wanted to make feature films, but it took her this long to realize her dream project: “I have never been happier in my life! This is all I want to do—being on the set and making the creative decisions! In music videos and commercials, you’re always the slave of the client. I’m happy here, because I’m not compromising my choices.”
The film stars Dawn Zulueta, Buboy Garrovillo, Dominic and Felix Roco, Annicka Dolonius, Alchris Galura, Marc Abaya, Jenny Jamora and Sabrina Mann.
