(From left) Sid Lucero, Beauty Gonzalez, Marco Masa and director Carlo Ledesma during a dialogue for the film “Outside.” Image: Courtesy of Netflix Philippines
While “Outside” was initially described as a zombie film, director Carlo Ledesma and lead stars Sid Lucero and Beauty Gonzalez pointed out that it also explores complex relationships and generational trauma.
The film tells the story of Francis (Lucero), his wife Iris (Gonzalez, and their children Joshua (Marco Masa) and Lucas (Aiden Tyler Patdu) who seek refuge in an abandoned mansion owned by Francis’ parents to flee a zombie outbreak. Along the way, the family is confronted with dark secrets, which pave the way for Francis’ inner demons to take full effect.
“Yes, it’s a film about zombies. But it is also a film about an imperfect family trying their best. No one here is perfect. But at the same time, I also feel like everyone is not a bad guy. No one is evil in the traditional sense,” Ledesma said of the film during a dialogue.
“I told the actors, ‘You’re not playing as if he’s a bad person. You’re all just trying to do your best as people.’ This is really about a family that can’t communicate with each other. This is really about a family who lacks communication and is trying to say one thing to the other.”
Dealing with generational trauma
This, according to Ledesma, is where the topic of “generational trauma” comes into play. In the film, Francis struggles with facing his dark past with his father, which then reflects in his harsh treatment of Joshua — who turns out to be the biological son of his brother, Diego (James Blanco).
“Generational trauma is something that is not talked about often, and maybe should be talked about. Many of us are close to people who suffered generational abuse from family members who had been abused also. It’s something I want to shine the light on,” he said.
Sid Lucero and Beauty Gonzalez during a dialogue for the film “Outside.” Image: Courtesy of Netflix Philippines
The filmmaker also pointed out that the “patriarchal” upbringing of several Filipino families is reflected in Francis’ character. “It’s something I want to change. I want us to talk about our feelings.”
“We don’t need to pass on this particular abuse to bring that to their child, and I’m seeing that with the younger generation,” continued Ledesma. “I want people to take care of themselves so they can be better parents.”
In a one-on-one interview with INQUIRER.net, Marco Masa also pointed out that generational trauma is a glaring theme that made him reflect on his personal relationships, in hopes of strengthening his bond with his family.
Bringing a vision to life
For Lucero, “Outside” follows “versatile” themes, which allow the public to have their own perceptions of what they’re about. “Whatever you take, the film is all about you… If you’re left to feel [in the film] that you can’t trust Francis, then that’s exactly what you can feel. You’re probably feeling that through Iris and the kids’ eyes.”
The actor, who previously said the film was “personal” to him, stressed that it’s a project where the cast, director, and production team brought an artistic vision to life.
Aiden Tyler Patdu, Beauty Gonzalez, Sid Lucero and Marco Masa in a scene from “Outside.” Image: Courtesy of Netflix
“What everybody takes about the film doesn’t matter. We spent our blood and tears into [making] it,” he said. “It almost doesn’t matter what you guys think because we love what we did. We’re just people trying to make a vision — our director’s vision — and we did it as honestly as we could.”
Meanwhile, Gonzalez shared that working on the film taught her about the zombies that can lurk in people’s lives.
“Life is full of zombies. Ang daming problema na binabato sa’tin na sanay na tayong ayusin ang mga bagay (There are many problems thrown at us that we’re used to fixing them). It was close to my heart,” she said.