VILLANUEVA’S ‘PATAY NA SI HESUS’
Abig stride for Cebuanos comes in the upcoming film Patay na si Hesus by director Victor Kaiba Villanueva, which will be showing in cinemas nationwide for the Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino.
"There will be a nationwide screening starting Aug. 16. It's for the Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino, which is during Buwan ng Wika, and only Filipino films will be shown during that week. There are 12 Pinoy films and out of the 12, we are the only Bisaya film,” said Villanueva.
“We're excited because I don't remember the last Cebuano film that was released nationwide. For me, it's a big deal because it's not every day that you get this opportunity to screen nationwide. Usually when you make a film, the usual question is where will this be shown? And for this film, we have 70 theaters nationwide that will show this project. It's not every day we get a chance to show nationwide because we don't have the budget of a mainstream studio.”
The film is a road trip dramedy. It revolves around this family with a single mom whose estranged husband dies 13 years after they broke up. She brings her children to Dumaguete to attend the wake of the father they barely know. Along the way, they experience an awakening detour.
"The film showcases what a family is all about. Even if you come from a broken family, you can still be whole. It adds to that kind of dimension. It was very inspired by the many road trips I've taken from Cebu to Dumaguete. It's very scenic and nostalgic for me and the material is very relatable," said Villanueva.
Cebu to Dumaguete
The film features Cannes Best Actress Jaclyn Jose and some local actors including Chai Fonacier. The film features scenic places in the region including Cebu City, Carcar City, Simala, Sibonga, Boljoon and Santander— the places one passes through on the way to Dumaguete.
"We shot from Cebu to Dumaguete. It was very challenging, but when people watch the movie it looks effortless for them. The work behind it is very intricate. It was very hot in the multicab. I was at the back monitoring the acting and we had five vans following us so if I cut the scene, everything stops. But I'm very happy with Above the Line Productions. They were all very prepared," shared Villanueva.
Unlike all the other films for this year's Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino, Patay na si Hesus uses the Bisaya language with only a few Tagalog lines.
"We've been asked that question before: Why not just transfer the road trip to Manila and make it Tagalog? First, I'm more familiar with Cebu. It is where my heart resonates and automatically I can make the movie with what I'm very familiar with. Second, we've been discussing this with the producers and we realized that we've been producing a lot of Tagalog movies for a long time. Why don't we try out something new—not the usual flavor we see on screen?” Villanueva said.
“Bisaya is something different. It's hard to explain what it means. They say there is Cebuano humor in it and it's different. But it's difficult to define what Cebuano humor is.”
To contribute to the authenticity of the film, Jose was specifically taught how to speak Bisaya.
“I have to say, Jose is an underrated comedian. She knows how to make the audience laugh. But not the usual comedy. She knows, in her own very deadpan way, that was the kind of humor we were going for.
“The challenge we went through with her is that she doesn't know how to speak Bisaya, so we had a workshop with her for months and we were surprised that she caught on fast. There are a few things she can't say so well but somehow she knows the language already. She is so dedicated because she really wanted to sound like an authentic Bisaya," Villanueva continued
The film also contains a perspective into the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer) community, which propelled its inclusion in the 41st San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival. In the film, Fonacier plays the transgender son of Jose's Iyay.
"One of the reasons why the film was included in one of the biggest LGBTQ film fests in the world is because of the very strong side story of Chai. It was a very honest and a sincere depiction of a lesbian-transman. Last year, the film won a gendersensitivity award," Villanueva also said.
One of the characters in the film also has Down syndrome. The producers were about to cut the part out when they met Vincent Viado.
"At first we had fears on how to handle a person with Down syndrome. We were talking about deleting the character but when (Viado) came to the audition, we were very surprised. He was very charming. And when we were shooting, I had no problem with him at all. In fact, he is the most obedient and is the one who immediately understands the directions. He's also very appreciative with our efforts,” continued Villanueva.
“There is this line we added that somehow reflects our situation with Vincent, where Jaclyn says: 'Nung pinanganak ang
kuya Hubert (Viado) n'yo, akala ko siya ang pabigat sa ating lahat. 'Yun pala, tayo ang pabigat sa
kanya (When your older brother was born, I though he would be a burden. But then I realized, we are a burden to him).'”
Talkative
The director also said about Viado: “He's very talkative. He knows how to dance and we get a lot of positive words from the community because of the way we handled the character. We didn't make fun of him. We didn't exploit it."
Villanueva hopes Cebuanos will support the film. Its success will determine the demand for Cebuano movies in the future.
“Creating a story in your place reflects the culture and situation of that place. It's one way for you to look at it from that perspective: to know the place and the people around it and also its cultural landmark so that when people look back at this time, they see Cebu. It's part of a memory for future generations to come. I want movies to be seen in that light; that it preserves a moment in time," added Villanueva.