Praise and Ponder
Tommy Abuel, who plays a paralyzed judge in ‘Dagsin,’ proves yet again age is no hindrance to winning awards.
At 76 years old, who would think Tommy Abuel would still be able to chalk up a milestone in his career? The seasoned actor earned not just one or two, but four best actor trophies for his performance in the 2016 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival entry “Dagsin” – a first in his decades-long tenure in the industry.
He first won in the 12th installation of the festival; then at the Los Angeles Philippine International Film Festival 2017 and at the 2018 European Philippine International Film Festival held in Florence, Italy.
Tommy was also named ambassador by the Film Development Council of the Philippines.
Add to these were best actor nominations from Gawad Urian and PMPC Star Awards for Movies, both in 2017.
Though he wasn’t able to receive
the awards personally, the team behind the film had a “symbolic handover of trophies” at a recent press conference.
In an interview, Tommy couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by it all.
“Doing the film was a pleasant experience. And these awards serve as a validation for the work I’ve done,” he said.
Head to head
Apart from Tommy’s trophies, “Dagsin” had reaped 14 more awards worldwide.
These include Best Narrative Feature (The World’s Independent Festival 2017); Centerpiece Film (Guam International Film Festival 2017); Best Heritage Film, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress for Janine Gutierrez, Best Actress in a Cameo Role (Marita Zobel), Best Actor in a Cameo Role (Alex Diaz) and Best Costume Design (Urduja Heritage Film Festival 2017); Best Cinematography (European Philippine International Film Festival 2018); Best Costumes (NCCA Ani ng Dangal Awards 2018); two other Film Ambassadors trophies from FDCP and another Best Costume award from a certain newspaper.
“Dagsin” focuses on the life of Justino (Tommy) and Corazon (Marita).
After surviving World War II, the Death March and several attempts on his life, Justino had become an atheist. But after his wife Corazon’s demise, a part of him now yearns to believe
in life beyond death just to be united with her again. Searching for memories of her he can still hold on to, Justino goes through her things. Mercy, their adopted daughter, finds a box-full of Corazon’s diaries, which he devours for information into their past.
It is a love story about courageous people, who were willing to sacrifice everything to protect their loved ones against the tragedies of human existence.
“Dagsin” will have its commercial release in the Philippines on April 20. That means they will go head to head with “Avengers: Endgame,” which opens four days later.
“We’re hoping for the best,” said producer Anne Prado- Magadia, the wife of director Atom Magadia.
She admitted some advised them to get a different playdate for the movie.
“But we choose to stick to what we have,” she said, relating how the date fits the film’s storyline which is set on Holy Week. “I guess it is really meant to be. And if that’s what God gave us, we might as well stick to it.”
Asked why people should also watch “Dagsin” despite going against a Marvel giant, Tommy and Marita said that while movies with high-tech effects entertain for the duration of the screening, those like theirs stay with you “because it is about you, about life, about the human experience.”
The story
Couple Anne and Atom never imagined “Dagsin” would be such a hit in the international film festival circuit.
It was their first produced film and according to them, being able to be part of Cinemalaya was already an achievement.
“Although Atom used to produce short films in the past, having a fulllength feature was a risky undertaking for us,” Anne said. “Aside from that, this film is not the type of project commercial networks would normally pickup.”
She went on: “So we submitted two scripts to Cinemalaya and we’re surprised ‘Dagsin’ made it to the final cut since it’s not the one we’re eyeing for. We were banking on the chances of the other film but ‘Dagsin’ got chosen.”
The story of “Dagsin” is borne from their experiences. The idea started when Atom was still a student at a film school. When he and Anne got married, the two experienced mishaps from 2007 to 2010. Atom had stroke and half of his body got paralyzed and that helped mold the main character in the film, a paralyzed judge.
While Atom was recovering, Anne promised him they would make movies – and out came “Dagsin.”
“So the core of the film is how a couple manages to keep their love going despite obstacles. When some things like that happened, you really end up questioning your faith in God. This film is really a product of experience. It is borne out of blood, sweat and tears,” she said.
As expected of any indie film, the biggest challenge was budget.
“Since we are a Cinemalaya entry, there’s a budget cut. So we have to cut 45 minutes from the original script,” she revealed, then adding they will have a full DVD release soon.
Punctuality
Talking about the cast, the producer said she felt “lucky” to have such “wonderful actors.”
Anne lauded Marita and Tommy as “very professionals.”
“They are first on the set, last to leave. Quiet but always ready. And take note, only two takes per scene throughout the shoot,” added Atom.
At 77, Marita had her “first-ever” kissing scene in “Dagsin.”
Asked what they want the audience to take away from the film, Tommy said in jest: “ Sana mag-penitensya silang lahat!”
Benjamin Alves plays the young Justino, while Janine is Marisa. Also in the cast of “Dagsin” are Lotlot de Leon, Sue Prado, Rolando Inocencio, Yoshihiko Hara, and Arpee Bautista.