Actress vows to sue director for libel, physical abuse
For calling a neophyte actress “unprofessional,” an independent filmmaker could face several lawsuits involving his own alleged abusive behavior on the set of a film they both worked on.
Director Joselito “Jay” Altarejos called Dalin Sarmiento “most unprofessional performer” in a post to his Facebook page Friday. He then explained to a commenter why he had come to such a conclusion.
Altarejos further posted, “She didn’t tell me that she had an operation three months ago.
And she knew from the start that the film is about domestic violence. Dayain ko na lang daw ang mga eksena.”
The director was referring to a scene from the film, “In Saecula Saeculorum,” an entry to the 2016 Sinag Maynila Film Festival headlined by Nora Aunor and where Dalin was supposedly cast as a battered woman.
In response, Dalin posted a lengthy comment to a separate post by Altarejos.
“I did not think that you would really go out of your way to post that libelous statement about me on your Facebook page, and I want to defend myself as to what really happened. I strongly believe that looking after my own welfare, health and safety is not wrong, and that I am entitled to it as a person,” she said.
The actress explained that contrary to Altarejos’ claim, her operation had actually taken place in November of last year and was restitched this March. “I said this to you and your staff a couple of times,” she added, belying the director’s claim that he had not been informed.
“I have been working since early this year, and I have played battered women roles before, and I expect that there is a degree of pain involved in these kinds of projects, but I never thought that the pain would be inflicted upon me not by my co-actor in a scene, but by you, the director,” she elaborated.
“I never told you na ‘dayain’ mo ang eksena, I just wanted to ‘meet halfway, ’because I was fearing for my well-being because you have hit me in the arm a couple of times (and I have pictures of my bruises), pulled my hair, and punched me in the stomach. My co-actors and your staff all saw what you did to me and they told me that they really felt sorry for me, but they could not do anything.”
Dalin ended her post by warning Altarejos that if he did not remove his post calling her “unprofessional” and continued badmouthing her, she would have no other recourse “but to file a criminal case against you for verbally abusing me, hitting me, slapping me, and punching my stomach on the set.”
In a separate post, Dalin said she had already sought legal advice regarding the cases she intended to file against Altarejos.
“I will not just let this abusive behavior pass, and I am hoping that by exposing this, I can help avoid abuses to fellow actors/coworkers in the future,” she later posted to her Facebook page.
In a later post, Dalin explained that the physical abuse happened while they were just preparing for a scene where Altarejos told her that “pain is not just an idea.”
Veteran talent manager Girlie Rodis, who handles Dalin and was tagged in the latter’s original comment to Altarejos’ post, went on to pose these questions on her own Facebook page.
“Actors – question – if a director wants you to agree to be physically abused for a domestic violence film in the name of ‘truth in filming’ and you refuse in the name of your health and safety are you being unprofessional? Can you be fired for refusing to be beaten up? To what organization can this director be reported? Are there really actors who agree to this?,” Rodis asked as she later posted a screenshot of Altarejos’ own post.
Several other artists immediately weighed in.
“That is crazy. Immersion and empathy have their limits in embodying a character or complying with the demands/ delusions of a director/ megalomaniac,” commented filmmaker Jose Javier Reyes, who also urged Dalin to file a letter of complaint to both the Film Academy of the Philippines and to the Directors Guild of the Philippines where Altarejos is a member.
Theater actor and director Audie Gemora had this to say: “There are many approaches to acting. Certainly does not need to be abused to act it truthfully. This shows that director lacks the skills to draw truth from his actors. Refuse.”
Singer-actress Lea Salonga minced no words in airing what she thought of Altarejos. “That director is crazy and needs to be blacklisted. No sane director would ever subject his/her actors to this. In all staged fights (or anything that requires a fight director), safety should be the priority. It just needs to look real, not actually be real,” she posted.
“Heneral Luna” actor John Arcilla posted a similar view.
“Acting is being able to CREATE TRUTH, out of untrue, calculated, imagined or discussed circumstances, that’s why it is called acting, and you must be able to reCREATE it again and again as genuine as the first time if required, then it is called Craft. If someone is going to provide real situations or circumstances to produce the feeling that he needs from an actor then it is not acting. The BEING method of Eric Morris is not even like that. Some directors do that to some kid actors and it is none other than abuse. An actor doesn’t need to experience actual death to play dead,” he posted.
“Ninja Party” star Elora Españo commented that while she did not personally have an unpleasant experience with Altarejos when she worked with him, she noted that the latter had also called another actress, indie favorite Mercedes Cabral, as unprofessional.
A message was left for Altarejos to get his side but InterAksyon has yet to hear from him. Meanwhile, his controversial post against Dalin remained.
Best known for gay-themed films like “Pink Halo Halo,” “Unfriend” and “Kasal,” which won Best Film at the Directors Showcase section of Cinemalaya in 2014, Altarejos has also directed for several TV series including GMA Network’s “Legacy” and TV5’s “Wattpad Presents.”
In 2012, he was reportedly fired from “Legacy” after actor Mike Tan allegedly accused him of sexual harassment. –