BRILLANTE MENDOZA

CANNES-AWARDWINNING FILM DIRECTOR

THE TOWNS OF BONGAO, SITANGKAI AND TAGANAK MAY NOT BE THE MOST POPULAR PLACES IN THE COUNTRY. But that may change as renowned Filipino director Brillante Mendoza unveils his latest opus entitled Thy Womb.

Since winning Best Director in Cannes in 2009, Thy Womb is Brillante’s most ambitious project yet and takes the director to TawiTawi, in southern Mindanao, with a cast led by superstar Nora Aunor.

The film director had humble roots. Growing wistful, “I did my first film Masahista just because I wanted to make a statement. After that, I went back to advertising where I was a production designer. Things changed, of course, when I won the FAMAS. It wasn’t even the award. It was seeing my film on the big screen.” Bitten, Brillante (who is not formally trained in film directing and learned through on-set observation) would go on to direct seven features with the eighth one being the award-winning

Kinatay. Director Quentin Tarantino, known for his own on-screen penchant towards violence and sex called Kinatay, “Troubling, bold and daring…” From gay fantasy to the sex trade in Angeles, Brillante’s chosen themes require a strong stomach and an unflinching eye.

He reveals, “From one film to another, you want to say something else and something more. You become more responsible.”

His latest project is a departure from his darker leanings, as it takes on a Badjao midwife (Aunor) in the middle of a crisis—passion or duty? While we can expect the same grit and flawed characters from direk Brillante, there is something different about this picture. To hear him describe it, “Tawi-tawi a beautiful place. Actually, it is the most peaceful place in Mindanao.” When asked about the global Pinoy he replies without a moment’s hesitation, “Someone who doesn’t only adapt to the demands of the world but is somebody who lives up to what he is trying to say.” The messenger is the message and Brillante Mendoza shows it like it is.—MY