‘Ang Araw’ opens today
Ang Araw sa Likod Mo won Best Sound for Greg Rodriguez III in the recently concluded Nice International Film Festival.
The award was accepted by the film's director, Dominic Nuesa, who attend the festival with actor Ping Medina. Nuesa and Medina were also nominated for Best Director and Best Supporting Actor, respectively.
While Nuesa and Medina are still in France and are slated to attend the ongoing Cannes Film Festival, Bong Cabrera was in Cebu yesterday to introduce the film, which opens nationwide today.
Cabrera is no stranger to Cebu. He was born and raised in Leyte but went to college at the University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu where he became president of UP Students' Theater Arts Guild for Education better known as UPStage.
Cabrera takes the lead in the film as Jamil, a member of the jihadist group Mujahideen. Jamil decides to leave the group but only to hear from his mother that his brother Omar (Liwag) has decided to follow in his brother's footsteps and join Mujahideen.
“It's a character-driven film… It shows the different perspectives in the conflict in Mindanao,” Cabrera told reporters yesterday.
Aside from the challenge of playing a Muslim, which he has never done before, Cabrera said he was attracted to the project because it is an advocacy film.
Part of the proceeds from the film will be donated to the Help Educate and Rear Orphans (Hero) Foundation. The organization was created by the late President Corazon Aquino and then Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Renato de Villa to respond to the growing needs of the families left behind by the soldiers killed or incapacitated in the line of duty. Hero beneficiaries are aided to obtain a college degree or a vocational course. Ang Araw sa Likod Mo, also known internationally as The Sun Behind You, has won six trophies so far: Best Sound at the Nice International Film Festival, Best Film at the Auckland International Film Festival, Global Award Winner at the Around Films International Film Festival and three awards at the Accolade Global Film Competition in the US: Best Actor for Cabrera, Best Supporting Actor for Liwag and Recognition for Feature Length for the film.