BC Amparado can’t map exactly how his desire to become a filmmaker began. But he says that competing in CineKabalen, a local film festival in Pampanga, where his short film Cabatingan, about orphaned siblings struggling to make ends meet, reaped awards, best director included, has been a pivotal point in his journey.
The film went on to compete in the 6th iteration of Cinema Rehiyon, the flagship project of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts centered on peripheral cinema. It was also showcased in a segment for Cinemalaya’s 10th edition.
That was a decade ago, yet Amparado says such experience extended him a space, a sense of belonging. “Seeing how other filmmakers and the audience accepted me was a life-changing experience,” he tells me.
Amparado banked on that momentum, with motivation from Jason Paul Laxamana, of drama films Babagwa (2013) and Between Maybes (2019), his mentor and professor during his time as a student at Holy Angel University.
“After I graduated, I worked for a local TV station, then a local production house, then shifted to a corporate job to survive,” shares the director.
While his day job has nothing to do with filmmaking, Amparado still made it a point to carry on with his passion by developing materials, studying films, and participating in screenwriting workshops, including one facilitated by National Artist Ricky Lee at the height of the pandemic. “Na-inspire ako lalo to write (I was inspired to write more) and to continue what I’m doing.”
This August, Amparado returns to Cinemalaya, now in its 20th year. But this time, as part of the festival’s main competition lineup, with his debut feature Gulay Lang, Manong, a dramedy about a struggling farmer and a police agent getting entangled in a marijuana cartel. The film stars Cedrick Juan, fresh from his Metro Manila Film Festival 2023 Best Actor win for Gomburza, and veteran actor Perry Dizon.
I spoke to Amparado recently to unpack his artistic process, intentions, and how Gulay Lang, Manong initiates conversations around the use of medical marijuana.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Gulay Lang, Manong is essentially a stoner film, right? How did the idea for this film come about?
Gulay Lang, Manong was never meant to be a stoner film. I would tag it as a drama/comedy (dramedy). It’s a social commentary disguised as a stoner film. Yes, the intention was to have elements of a stoner film but filled with hard-hitting facts regarding life around the topic of marijuana today.
The idea came to me around three years ago or so. I was working on a documentary about farmers when I saw their battles and struggles. Then it developed into me thinking that the term “gulay” (vegetable) can be paralleled to [medical] marijuana, which I am a longtime advocate of. Then the story kind of wrote itself.
I’ve learned that this is your debut feature, and I wonder if this has always been your vision for a first full-length film.
Yes. This is exactly how I want my first feature to be. A film with social relevance, a film that has importance, and a story that could touch the lives of the Filipino audience.
How does it feel to have Cedrick Juan and Perry Dizon as your leads?
I am very thankful for Cedrick and Tito Perry. Cedrick, coming off a fresh Best Actor win, welcomed the project wholeheartedly. He is very collaborative — a true artist indeed. He understands the character very well and never hesitates to ask if he has questions about it. Also, he understands the advocacy very well.
Same with Tito Perry. A true professional and very collaborative. He embodied his character very well and made it a version that he could relate to. What really stuck to me was when I first met him via Zoom for our online script reading. After the whole thing, he said that “si Perry at si Pilo ay maghahanapan pa,” (Perry and Pilo will still look for each other) meaning that he’s connecting to the character slowly but with complete understanding.
So overall, they made my job as a director very easy. We always joke around, saying Cedrick is just like a younger version of Perry. They have perfect chemistry on and off the camera. I am very grateful to have them as my mains.
I’ve seen a couple of your shorts like Shelter and Angga Sisilim. I’m curious, how has your previous work shaped what you intended to capture in Gulay Lang, Manong, especially in terms of visual language?
Wow! Thanks for watching my shorts. Well, I think every project is unique. Iba-iba ng atake (Each one is treated differently). But I think of my visual language as straightforward and simple. I do what I think is best for the topic or scene. I don’t know what my style is or my version of visual language, maybe the audience can determine that after watching my films. Does that make sense?
As a follow-up to that, how was it like working with Emmanuel Liwanag as your cinematographer?
I have been working with Emman for the longest time. He was my cinematographer for my first short film, and I’ve known him since we were students. I chose to collaborate with him on my first feature because I feel like I’m comfortable working with him. And I know that we have chemistry and synergy since we have worked countless times in the past. I know that we understand each other, and together we can figure things out for the betterment of the project.
What was the filming process like? What were the walls you had to scale to complete the project?
The process was not easy. Being a newbie in the industry, not having any connections is hard. But I’m thankful to have a producer who really cared and had patience to guide me every step of the way. Anyway, Tin Velasco, my producer, is a longtime friend, and also ninang (godmother) to my kids. She was the one who made this project possible. Everything is new to me from pre- to post-production so I had to play it by ear. It’s just a million times easier to have a producer who cares about the project and has the initiative to guide you through everything. She made sure that I just took care of the creative things and not care about other things. That way, I can focus more on my cinematic language and preferred storytelling.
In the director’s statement, you talked about the stigma around the use of medical cannabis as well as the plight of local farmers. How pivotal was this message while you were working on the script?
Well, that’s the heart of the story. We (me and my script consultants) developed the script with this in mind. We want to make sure that we are revolving around reality and the relevant topics as much as possible without compromising the true message of the film.
One aspect I fixate on in stoner films at large is how they wield the score and sound design. How did you go about this alongside Willie Apa Jr. and Bien Sparks?
Well, that’s one element of it. The stoner film vibe. What I make sure when I make films is to collaborate. We discussed how I want or visualize the treatment of sound and score to them and I just let them cook. They are artists in their own respective fields, that is why I rely on them to provide the best sound and score that fits each scene. I do this not only with sound and score but also with every department. Just to sum it up, I think collaboration is the very essence of filmmaking.
What do you think would be necessary to spotlight more stories from the regions?
More avenues for artists to participate in. Maybe more support from localities and the national government. More development activities for young and upcoming artists not only in filmmaking but in all aspects of art. – Rappler.com
This year’s Cinemalaya Film Festival runs until August 11 at select Ayala theaters.