Johnny Delgado tribute film draws hearty applause

TRIBUTE Laurice Guillen and late husband and actor Johnny Delgado smile to photographers during the Film Academy of the Philippines Awards night in Manila on May 14, 2005. On Friday, Guillen’s “Maskara,” which is a tribute to Delgado, opened the 7th Cinemalaya film fest and received much applause from viewers. AFP PHOTO/JOEL NITO

Technical problems stalled the screening of the Laurice Guillen drama “Maskara,” opening film of the 7th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, on Friday night.

But the audience that filled the Main Theater of the Cultural Center of the Philippines stayed on and gave the film a hearty round of applause in the end.

“Maskara” tells the story of actor Roberto Martin (Tirso Cruz III), which unfolds through letters discovered by his wife 40 days after he dies. It is a tribute to Laurice’s husband, actor Johnny Delgado, who died of cancer in 2009.

“We have long wanted to make a tribute to Daddy, even when he was still alive,” said actress Ina Feleo, who wrote the script for the film produced by her sister Ana. “Now that it’s finished, I’m sure he’s very happy, wherever he is.”

Before making the film, Laurice and Ina enrolled in a script-writing workshop under Armando “Bing” Lao. Ina, a graduate of Creative Writing at the Ateneo de Manila University, said it took her just a little over a month to finish the script “because Mommy already wanted to start filming.”

In the film, Ina plays Anna, the letter-sender and Roberto’s daughter from a previous relationship.

“I put myself in the shoes of my stepsister. The letters were really hers, I simply edited them,” revealed Ina. “The only difference is that, while Anna’s identity was discovered only after her father’s death, we knew of our stepsister while we were growing up.”

Ina said the film is the fulfillment of her promise to her father, who kept pushing her to write and direct films, when all she wanted was to be an actress. She said the film helped Laurice overcome grief.

“There’s always a personal touch in all the films I make, but I put a lot of myself in this one,” said Laurice. “I involved my family and friends. I even allowed it to be shot inside our home.”

She said she was impressed with how well Shamaine Centenera-Buencamino played Ellen, Roberto’s widow. “Her portrayal is so close to who I am, in terms of seriousness and maturity,” Laurice explained.

Shamaine said she never meant to “copy” Laurice. “She didn’t say, ‘You’re going to play me.’ She just said you’re going to play the role of an actress who gives workshops and is married to someone well-known in show biz.’ Ina would sometimes tell me, ‘That’s exactly how Mommy would have done it’ or ‘Mommy na Mommy ka talaga d’yan.’ Laurice is very easy to work with. She trusts her actors’ instincts. Whenever I asked how I should go about a particular certain scene, she would always reply, ‘Gawin mo kung ano ang totoo sa ’yo.’”