Salute to the Philippine Marines

Director Arlene dela Cruz

An indie movie about Pinoy soldiers is in the works but before people assume it’s about the Fallen 44, journalist-director Arlene dela Cruz says it isn’t so.

In a press conference, dela Cruz introduced her upcoming work, “Mandirigma,” simply as the follow-up to the critically-acclaimed “Maratabat (Pride And Honor),” the 2014 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) New Wave Category entry, which tackles clan wars and how they have affected politics in Mindanao.

“This is not the story of (the) SAF 44,” dela Cruz points out. “‘Mandirigma’ is actually about the Philippine Marines. Its timeliness is just a coincidence.”

Conceptualized in October last year, the director said the script was already finished before the Mamasapano clash happened on Jan. 25.

Dela Cruz shares the film is based on true accounts and will depict several significant events that hogged headlines in the past, including the massacre of some 23 Marines in Al-Barka, Basilan in 2007.

Produced by StarQuest Alliance Production, Inc. in partnership with Blank Pages Productions, the film is currently being shot for an April 9 release, coinciding with the Araw ng Kagitingan celebration.

It is said that Derek Ramsay was originally going to be in the cast but had to be replaced. “Binigyan niya kami ng timetable na April 29 onwards… (but) this production outfit is a company in a hurry,” dela Cruz explains. Luis Alandy has since taken Ramsay’s place.

Cast and crew of ‘Mandirigma’ (StarQuest Alliance Corporation, Inc.)

Alandy, along with cast mates Ping Medina, Alwin Uytingco, Victor Basa, Marc Solis, Carlo Cruz, Jericho Ejercito, Ken Anderson, Alvin Fortuna, Roland Inocencio, Dennis Coronel and Mon Confiado, attended an immersion program at Fort Bonifacio in preparation for the film. They also had one whole day of military training.

In terms of physical challenges involved in making the movie, Solis shares, “Mahirap lang ’yung mga akyatan namin sa bundok kasi ’yung mga scene namin doon sobrang taas… You have to have ropes, halos parang semi-rappelling bago ka makaayat sa location. Sobrang hirap na experience.”

Anderson, meanwhile, is proud to be part of the film, knowing it would honor the country’s brave soldiers.

“A lot of drama has been going on in the Philippines and it (‘Mandirigma’) can actually change the way how people look at our military,” he says. (With report from Jojo P. Panaligan)

Salute to the Philippine Marines

Source: Mb.com.ph (February 26, 2015 at 04:37PM)

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