DIRECTOR Marlon Rivera gives directions to the young cast of “Ang Babae sa Septic Tank.”
As Rainier, Bingbong and Jocelyn discuss the story, the movie is reborn in Jocelyn’s imagination several times—as a neorealist film, a musical, a melodrama and a documentary.
“We’re not trying to be controversial,” Martinez told Inquirer Entertainment, explaining that the satire is about what’s happening in the independent film movement in the country today. “We’re simply asking questions…”
The film that Marlon Rivera directed actually “tells what motivates indie filmmakers to make movies and what they do to get their movies noticed,” Martinez added. It also touches on the issue of “poverty porn” as well as “festival films” or movies made especially for foreign audience.
“It’s a comedy about misguided ambitions, the art of making art and the romanticization of poverty,” Martinez stressed.
“Septic Tank” is an entry in the New Breed Full-length category of the 7th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival.
Martinez said that first-time director Rivera deliberately broke out of his comfort zone to make the film.
Rivera, a graduate of Bachelor of Arts at the Ateneo de Manila University, taught Visual-Verbal Communication in the College of Fine Arts of the University of the Philippines for seven years. He is also a fashion designer, makeup artist, florist and president of the advertising firm Publicis Manila.
In 2009, he and Martinez put up Martinez-Rivera Films to produce the drama “100,” also for Cinemalaya. While Martinez directed the film, Rivera was coproducer and creative consultant.
“I had a tough time directing. Chris wrote a very complicated script,” said Rivera. “I had to learn to compromise. Working around the busy schedules of my actors was the most difficult challenge.”
Rivera said he almost doubted he could finish the film when his lead star, Eugene Domingo, figured in an accident in April. While filming, Domingo slipped and injured her back.
“Everything had to stop because of the accident,” Rivera explained. “Most of the scenes required her to walk or dance, but she really couldn’t move.”
Rivera confessed to feeling intimidated by Domingo even though he had known her in UP, where she acted in stage plays. “With this film, I realized that Uge is not just a comedienne but a really good actress. She is capable of doing so many things.”
Martinez insisted that “viewers will see a different Uge in the film. You will see that she can be effective not just in comedy, but also in a melodrama and even in a musical. She even appeared as herself, which I found really funny and disturbing.”
He likened the film to the 1999 Spike Jones black comedy-fantasy, “Being John Malkovich,” where Malkovich plays a fictionalized version of himself.
“Ang Babae sa Septic Tank” also features JM de Guzman, Kean Cipriano and Cai Cortez, with the special participation of Mercedes Cabral and Cherry Pie Picache. The Cinemalaya film fest will run from July 15 to 24 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Pasay City and at the Greenbelt Cinemas in Makati City.