Merry Christmas to all who celebrate!
For our special holiday episode, makakakuwentuhan natin ang 2023 MMFF Best Director na si Zig Dulay!
Ngayong 2024, isang bagong MMFF entry na naman ang aabangan natin mula sa kanya — ang ‘Green Bones.’ Paano nga ba ang creative process niya sa pagbuo ng pelikulang ito? Alamin at pakinggan dito lang sa Surprise Guest with Pia Arcangel!
For our special holiday episode, makakakuwentuhan natin ang 2023 MMFF Best Director na si Zig Dulay!
Ngayong 2024, isang bagong MMFF entry na naman ang aabangan natin mula sa kanya — ang ‘Green Bones.’ Paano nga ba ang creative process niya sa pagbuo ng pelikulang ito? Alamin at pakinggan dito lang sa Surprise Guest with Pia Arcangel!
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NewsTranscript
00:00Surprise everyone! Welcome to a new special episode of Surprise Guests with Pia Arcangel
00:08where we would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas. This is our surprise Christmas gift
00:13for everyone and we have a special episode today lined up for you because, well as usual,
00:19our guest today is a surprise for everybody because it's Christmas day. Of course,
00:24our episode today has a Christmas theme. I will be receiving a set of clues to find out who our
00:31surprise guest for today is. Let's read the clue. He's a film director. Okay. His first entry at
00:38Metro Manila Film Fest was his debut in mainstream films. Oh, does that mean this year? This year,
00:46he has an entry. Next clue. The same entry, he won the Best Picture last year. Wait, Best Picture
00:58last year was Firefly. Oh, Direk Zigdulay, are you our special surprise guest for today? Yes!
01:07Hi, Direk! Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas! Oh wow, Direk, we're seeing a lot of teasers and
01:15plugs and trailers for Green Bones. The movie is amazing. I mean, based on what we've seen so far,
01:22we're really seeing goosebumps. I've seen it on TV because of the news, right? We're seeing it.
01:29It's like a different story this year, Direk, right? It's not your usual Film Fest fare as was Firefly.
01:45I'm in a phase right now where I want to do something out of my comfort zone.
01:55So, I'm challenging myself. I'm checking what else I can push myself
02:01when it comes to storytelling using visual language. Wow, well, Direk, one of the comments
02:09about your films is that your cinematography is really very different. I mean, so much thought is
02:15put into the cinematography because the shots are so beautiful. There's no dialogue. There's a story.
02:21How does your visualization process start, Direk? Do you just read the script?
02:26Do you imagine what each scene should look like? That's a good point, Ms. Pia.
02:33I don't do anything. I don't do anything. I don't do anything. I don't do anything. I don't do anything.
02:37I don't do anything. I don't do anything. I don't do anything. I don't do anything. I don't do anything.
02:38I don't do anything. I don't do anything. I don't do anything. I don't do anything. I don't do anything.
02:41I don't do anything. I don't do anything. I don't do anything. I don't do anything. I don't do anything.
02:46I don't do anything. I don't do anything. I don't do anything. I don't do anything. I don't do anything.
02:47I don't do anything. I don't do anything. I don't do anything. I don't do anything. I don't do anything.
02:50The location or setting is one of the characters in the scene.
02:59The location has a personality. It has a soul. It has a heart.
03:05I feel like it needs to be told.
03:08I feel like that's where it comes from. I need to tell the story of the place.
03:12Not just the story of the characters.
03:15Direk, can you tell us the gist of this story?
03:21We interviewed Dennis Lilio. He has a bit of a taste.
03:25He's just worried that he might not be able to tell the whole story.
03:28Direk, what's the gist of the story?
03:32Actually, the green bones came from a belief that
03:36if a person was cremated and the green bones were found,
03:41it's a sign that that person was a good person when he was still alive.
03:47That belief is what the character of Ruru, Javier,
03:54who is a CEO or a police officer in a prison,
03:57the prison on an island.
04:01He puts it in his mind that there are only two kinds of people in the world, bad and good.
04:09Along the way, he looks at the character of Dennis, which is Dom.
04:15He investigates if it's true that people who do bad things have the ability to change.
04:23Along the way, in the investigation, he will discover the truth.
04:30Other than that, he will discover more important things than what he was looking for.
04:36He will discover those important things in the movie.
04:41In the trailer, we saw that Dennis can't speak. Is that true?
04:46Yes, all the more that his heart is more exposed to the real life of Dennis.
04:52Because he can't speak, he uses sign language.
04:57So, his means of communication as an artiste
05:01is to express his emotions through his face.
05:07I can only imagine how challenging it is to make Green Bones.
05:12But I'm thinking also, it's a big thing that your co-stars are very seasoned actors.
05:18For example, Dennis Trillo and Ruru Madrid, when you see their expressions on camera,
05:23you don't understand what the story is about.
05:26It's like you sympathize with them, or you're angry with them.
05:31What was it like working with them?
05:32We've worked with Dennis a lot.
05:36We worked with Puso Ni Dok,
05:39with their anniversary special,
05:42and with Legal Wives, Maria Clara and Ibarra.
05:46So, there's a lot.
05:48When I work with an artiste, or anyone in the production,
05:53somehow, it's important to me that I know what he can give to the table
05:58so that I know how to season it.
06:01So, most of the time, I know Dennis.
06:05I know what to expect from him.
06:06He always excites me.
06:08Every time.
06:10So, I'm always surprised.
06:11I've worked with Ruru in episodes of Wagas before,
06:17and whenever.
06:18Because I know him as a very passionate kid.
06:21I didn't have a hard time working with the two of them.
06:24For example, with Ruru,
06:26because she gives 200% of her passion to the character.
06:30So, even if I ask for a lot of versions of the takes,
06:34she gives them to me.
06:36I'm so happy because they trust me as their director.
06:42At the same time, I'm a big fan of collaboration.
06:46I believe that when we collaborate,
06:49not just with the artiste, but also with other departments of making movies,
06:54it magnifies what we want to make people feel,
06:57or make them understand, or say in the scenes.
07:00So, I didn't have a hard time.
07:02I'm grateful.
07:03I'm thankful that the two of them became our artistes in Green Bones.
07:07Very exciting.
07:08Because aside from Dennis and Ruru,
07:10there are so many other names that are included in the movie.
07:15There's Issa Calzado,
07:18Alessandra De Rossi, who you worked with in Firefly.
07:20Is that right, Direk?
07:21Yes, that's right.
07:22I'm so grateful that I worked with them,
07:24and they were included in Green Bones.
07:26Sir Michael De Mesa,
07:28Wendell Ramos,
07:30Ronnie Lazaro,
07:31Issa Calzado,
07:33Victor Neri,
07:35Raul Mori,
07:36Mikoy Morales,
07:38Royce Cabrera,
07:40and many more.
07:41Sorry for the names I didn't mention.
07:42But there's also Sofia Pablo,
07:44Kylie,
07:46who we worked with.
07:47There are so many more.
07:49She's so star-studded.
07:51Because of the qualities of these artists,
07:54they were able to make their characters more real.
07:59So I'm so grateful to them.
08:01They helped me to make my work as a director easier.
08:06Wow, your cast is so star-studded, Direk.
08:10How would you describe your relationship with your actors and your actresses
08:15during filming?
08:17As opposed to when you're not on set.
08:19Are you the strict teacher
08:21who becomes strict when you're on set?
08:24But when you're outside of the classroom,
08:26you're all friends.
08:28I'm a good person,
08:30but I don't really talk to them, Ms. Pia.
08:34So even when we're outside,
08:36I don't really talk to them.
08:38We talked to Dennis,
08:40but we don't really talk to each other.
08:42But when we're on set,
08:44I give them what they need
08:46or what a director needs to do.
08:48Like what I said earlier,
08:50I'm a big fan of collaboration.
08:52I believe that
08:54through collaboration,
08:56especially between the director and the actor,
08:58we can bring out
09:00the emotions they're asking for
09:02in each scene.
09:04When I give them instructions,
09:06I make them feel
09:08how important
09:10each scene is.
09:12We're trying to find
09:14the heart, soul, and brain
09:16of the scene
09:18that needs to come out.
09:20And it doesn't change much
09:22because even after we take the scene,
09:24or even when we talk
09:26on Instagram
09:28or SockMed,
09:30the conversation is still deeper.
09:32For example, it's still about the movie.
09:34Because I don't really talk to them.
09:36I don't really
09:38hang out with them.
09:40You're still professional
09:42in your relationship
09:44with your cast.
09:46I imagine that, as you said,
09:48collaboration is very important.
09:50But of course, not only with
09:52the actors involved,
09:54but also with the scriptwriters.
09:56It's a very close collaboration.
09:58At the Film Fest last year,
10:00you and Ms. Anj were the tandem
10:02that won the Firefly.
10:04Is she also
10:06with you this year in Green Bones?
10:08Yes, I'm with Ms. Anj again.
10:10I'm so excited
10:12that people will see another collaboration.
10:14We were also added
10:16by a powerful powerhouse
10:18who really loves cinema.
10:20Sir Ricky Lee really loves cinema.
10:22Oh, wow!
10:24Sir JC is also with us.
10:26He modeled the story,
10:28Ma'am Nessa,
10:30Sir Christian.
10:32The collaboration with them
10:34is another thing I'm thankful for.
10:36As I mentioned earlier,
10:38this film is very different
10:40from what I've done before.
10:42Somehow, I had a beginner's mind
10:44that I wanted to change.
10:46I expected to learn
10:48while making this film.
10:50Not only about myself,
10:52but also about the scene
10:54of telling the story
10:56using visual language.
10:58They were there to guide.
11:00We were there together
11:02from the concept development.
11:04We discussed
11:06what's important to me
11:08before making the film.
11:10What's important to me
11:12is the message,
11:14heart, and soul of the story.
11:16I need to understand it before making it.
11:18We had a lot of meetings
11:20before scripting,
11:22before shooting.
11:24Because I need to
11:26form myself first.
11:28I need to form myself first.
11:30I need to find myself
11:32in the story
11:34before I can talk.
11:36In that collaboration,
11:38we always look at the material.
11:40We always look at
11:42the best version.
11:44I believe they also believe
11:46that the more you discuss,
11:48the more you look at it,
11:50the more the essence comes out.
11:52Something like that.
11:54From the concept development
11:56until the end,
11:58the film came out
12:00and they didn't let me down.
12:02Like what I always say,
12:04it's hard to make a film
12:06but it's harder
12:08to get the trust
12:10of the people around you.
12:12I'm very thankful
12:14that like in Firefly,
12:16I was trusted
12:18by GME Pictures,
12:20Green Bones,
12:22and the trust I get
12:24from all the people involved,
12:26including the artists,
12:28the staff,
12:30they believe in me
12:32that I can drive the bus,
12:34I can drive the entire film
12:36to release
12:38the best version.
12:40I'm thankful for that trust.
12:42And that trust,
12:44I feel, comes out in the collaboration.
12:46Not just the creatives,
12:48the artists,
12:50but all the people involved in the team.
12:52It's so beautiful what you said,
12:54when you enter a project,
12:56it's so important
12:58to have confidence
13:00in yourself
13:02but you can't think that
13:04you know everything,
13:06that you can do it perfectly
13:08because there's always room for growth.
13:10But is there pressure
13:12when you enter
13:14a new project,
13:16especially ever since
13:18your win in Firefly,
13:20because it was so well-received,
13:22well-recognized,
13:24how do you handle it
13:26or use it to your advantage
13:28coming into a new project?
13:30The pressure,
13:32I don't see the pressure
13:34because we won last year.
13:36Actually, the pressure
13:38comes from what I said earlier,
13:40how can you bring it back,
13:42how can you balance the trust
13:44that GMA Pictures
13:46or the people around you
13:48give you.
13:50They always tell me
13:52Zigdula is the director,
13:54that's Zigdula,
13:56that needs to be fixed,
13:58that's Zigdula,
14:00they had the best film last year,
14:02it should be fixed.
14:04Maybe that's where the pressure comes from
14:06but I don't put pressure on myself.
14:08I put pressure on myself
14:10how can I
14:12bring out my best
14:14to bring out the best version
14:16of the movie we're making.
14:18It's more than that,
14:20I don't want to ruin
14:22the trust they give me
14:24because
14:26if I put pressure
14:28on a lot of people,
14:30on a lot of things,
14:32there might be
14:34more hindrances
14:36so I can't bring out
14:38the best version of our movie.
14:40It's good to entertain
14:42that pressure as motivation
14:44or as inspiration
14:46so you can do your best
14:48for a new movie
14:50that you're going to make.
14:52In the first place,
14:54when I found myself in Green Bones,
14:56I trusted that
14:58that's the only role
15:00that I'll do as a director
15:02to bring out the best version of it.
15:04Because I have a belief
15:06that the filmmaker
15:08or the person
15:10doesn't choose the story
15:12but the story is chosen
15:14by the person telling it.
15:16And once the person
15:18chooses to tell the story,
15:20what you have to do
15:22is do your best
15:24to bring out the best version.
15:26It's like you're the chosen one
15:28or you're the chosen one.
15:30That's why before I started,
15:32I had a lot of things to do.
15:34I was looking for money,
15:36I was looking for myself,
15:38I was looking for signals
15:40to be in this story.
15:42And once you choose the story,
15:44you trust the universe
15:46that it's for you.
15:48And you're the chosen one
15:50to tell the best version of it.
15:52And you don't have to worry
15:54about the pressure anymore.
15:56Because it's the relationship
15:58between you
16:00and the movie
16:02that you're making
16:04that's important.
16:06Wow! So it's like it's destined.
16:08But Direk, speaking of trust,
16:10you said you got trust.
16:12It's truly well-deserved.
16:14And we can see it
16:16in your output,
16:18in the stories you're going to tell,
16:20in everything you've already shared.
16:22And it's not just the viewers
16:24that are noticing
16:26because even the different
16:28award-giving bodies,
16:30I heard, Direk, you were just named
16:32part of the Outstanding Young Men.
16:34You're one of the
16:36Time Awardees for this year.
16:38Direk, congratulations! What a big recognition!
16:40Thank you so much, Miss Pia.
16:42Actually, I want to thank
16:44Ma'am Jessica Soho
16:46because she was the one who nominated me.
16:48It was only then
16:50that she trusted me
16:52that I deserved the award.
16:54That's when I was a bit pressured.
16:56Because is it true?
16:58You know, Miss Pia, while we're doing this,
17:00we're giving requirements,
17:02it's like what I'm doing
17:04is flashing back to me
17:06from when I started in Wagas
17:08and the talks I'm doing
17:10in different provinces
17:12to inspire the upcoming
17:14filmmakers, until you're already
17:16making a series that has
17:18an impact on a lot of people.
17:20What I'm doing is one by one.
17:22Then, I said,
17:24even if I don't win
17:26in real life, it's like I won
17:28because everything I did
17:30flashed back
17:32and she made me understand
17:34how you're going to use
17:36your talent
17:38to serve
17:40not just for yourself
17:42but for more people.
17:44I treasure
17:46this award
17:48that was given to me
17:50because I receive it
17:52not just for myself
17:54but for the communities,
17:56the groups that joined me
17:58to crystallize
18:00that service
18:02in the community.
18:04I'm so happy
18:06that you're able to use
18:08your art to
18:10serve the community.
18:12Congratulations, Direk,
18:14because it's a very remarkable
18:16distinction and recognition.
18:18Just like Conetta,
18:20Ma'am Jespa nominated you,
18:22so that's double.
18:24But you said, Direk,
18:26it's like you flashed back.
18:28How many years have you been
18:30in the industry,
18:32actually, in general?
18:46The court finds Domingo Zamora
18:48guilty of the murder
18:50of his sister, Joanna Zamora
18:52Pineda.
19:02On an island outside
19:04of Petro, Manila.
19:32Even if you're not punished,
19:34I have a bodyguard who plans
19:36to escape.
19:40I read your file.
19:42I also know why you're so
19:44angry with the dead.
20:02Sir,
20:04this is not the prison
20:06you're thinking of.
20:08Let's help them.
20:10Sir,
20:12how do you know
20:14if a criminal really changed?
20:18I just want to tell you
20:20that Dom is not
20:22a bad person.
20:28I know
20:30what I'm doing.
20:54If you give yourself
20:56a chance,
20:58you can do it.
21:00The question is,
21:02what kind of person
21:04will come out
21:06at the end?
21:28Can goodness
21:30raise
21:32a sinner?
21:44How long have you been
21:46in the industry,
21:48making films,
21:50or directing, actually, in general?
21:52Relatively,
21:54since I was young,
21:56for a long time,
21:58the blessings
22:00that were given to me
22:02happened one after
22:04another.
22:06At the same time,
22:08those projects are valuable.
22:10I started after I graduated
22:12from UP Baguio. I majored in Com Arts.
22:14I went to Manila,
22:16I found myself here.
22:18From then, I really wanted to
22:20enter the film industry.
22:22But, of course,
22:24I was given a challenge to
22:26find myself.
22:28So, I started
22:30when I really wanted to
22:32make films.
22:34I wrote with
22:36Antoinette Adao and
22:38Director Jeffrey Jatorian
22:40the extra film directed by
22:42Vilma Santos.
22:44It was in Cinemalaya Film.
22:46We won Best Screenplay.
22:48That's where it started.
22:50To be honest,
22:52when I won,
22:54Ms. Joni wrote me
22:56in Wagas. I was the one
22:58who made your love story, Ms. Pia,
23:00in Wagas.
23:02That's so embarrassing!
23:04Wow!
23:06It was played by Glyza,
23:08right?
23:10Yes, Glyza.
23:12I said, wow, you brought back
23:14the actual locations
23:16where the love story happened.
23:18It's a small world, Director.
23:20That's where it started.
23:22I'm so grateful
23:24to News & Public Affairs
23:26because, to be honest,
23:28while I was making the episodes
23:30of Wagas, Tadhana,
23:32Nang Wishko Lang, Nang Karelasyon,
23:34I felt like a storyteller
23:36using visual language.
23:38So,
23:40until I made Teleserienda.
23:42In the meantime,
23:44I was making short films,
23:46indie films.
23:48I loved it
23:50more and more
23:52until I reached the point
23:54where I decided to make a film
23:56or a series
23:58because I really wanted
24:00to deliver a message
24:02to more people.
24:04Director, you mentioned that you started
24:06by writing a script.
24:08So, until now,
24:10you haven't stopped writing,
24:12but how would you describe
24:14the challenges of writing
24:16and the challenges of directing?
24:18They're different.
24:20When I'm writing a film,
24:22of course,
24:24you need to achieve
24:26the best version of the screenplay
24:28so you have a lot of revisions.
24:30When you're writing,
24:32you're using words.
24:34When you're directing,
24:36you're using scenes.
24:38Your real
24:40role is
24:42visual language.
24:44How do you convert these words
24:46into visuals?
24:48I know that when I'm directing,
24:50I'm serving each scene.
24:52It's like that.
24:54Later in life,
24:56when it's edited,
24:58it's like rewriting again.
25:00It's like three layers,
25:02three stages
25:04of writing.
25:06The writing of the screenplay,
25:08when you're directing,
25:10you're rewriting using visual language.
25:12When you're editing,
25:14you're using footage
25:16for editing, which is rewriting.
25:18It's like that.
25:20Because I started as a writer,
25:22of course, I respect
25:24the script a lot.
25:26It's like a bible.
25:28But you have to balance it with the locations
25:30and the logistics.
25:32As a director,
25:34this is what makes Miss Pia addictive.
25:36You see that you're creating reality.
25:38You're creating realism.
25:40You're creating truthfulness.
25:42You're making it visual.
25:44That process is a bit addicting.
25:46From words,
25:48you're making it real.
25:50It means you're creating
25:52something.
25:54That's what always makes me happy.
25:56It's like, oh, it's just written
25:58that Dom will be sad.
26:00It's like that.
26:02But the process to reach
26:04the sadness of Dom,
26:06that's where the magic is.
26:08You're happy as a director
26:10because it means
26:12you're letting the character in,
26:14you're letting the scene in,
26:16you're letting the world in,
26:18the story, the movie.
26:20That's where you're getting addicted.
26:22That's what you said earlier,
26:24that when you read the script,
26:26you can visualize that that's what's happening.
26:28It's like you're getting addicted to the story.
26:30You know from the beginning to the end.
26:32Wow. So, Direk,
26:34you came from making indie films
26:36because you said that cinema
26:38was your first foray into filmmaking.
26:40And now, you're in the mainstream.
26:44What's the biggest difference
26:46you noticed between the two?
26:48When I was an indie filmmaker,
26:50up until now,
26:52I've been doing it from time to time
26:54because I have a feeling that
26:56I'm more grounded there.
26:58In the indie,
27:00I got to know myself better.
27:02I was able to form myself as a filmmaker.
27:04That was also my testing ground
27:06if I can tell a story
27:08using visual language.
27:10Can I tell a story
27:12that will transcend
27:14what I want to say in the film?
27:16Will I use the film as a medium?
27:18I was already there at that point.
27:20When I moved to the mainstream,
27:22my world expanded.
27:26There was more collaboration.
27:28There's also collaboration in the indie,
27:30but the person you collaborate with
27:32when it comes to the mainstream
27:34is more important.
27:36That's where I see the difference.
27:38When I was an indie,
27:40I was more internal.
27:42I was more of an inner self.
27:44It's like you're looking for your voice.
27:46It's like that.
27:48Now, when it comes to the mainstream,
27:50you have a voice.
27:52All your co-workers have a voice.
27:54How do you combine that
27:56to magnify and expand
27:58the voice you want to say?
28:00You have to make sure
28:02that voice transcends
28:04the audience using the film.
28:06That's the difference
28:08in real life.
28:10At first, I had a hard time
28:12because I had to move from
28:14an indie where you're the one
28:16who makes the decisions.
28:18That's where I said earlier
28:20that you're looking for your voice
28:22and you're strong about it.
28:24When it comes to the mainstream,
28:26all departments have a voice
28:28and you have to listen to it.
28:30You have to consider it.
28:32I believe that through collaboration,
28:34it magnifies,
28:36your voice becomes richer,
28:38and the product becomes better.
28:40Wow! It's like a collaborative process
28:42when it comes to filmmaking,
28:44whether you're an indie
28:46or in the mainstream.
28:48Direct, you said that
28:50when you first entered the industry,
28:52you went to Manila
28:54and you went through a lot of trials.
28:56Do you remember
28:58the trials that you went through?
29:00Does this inspire you to help
29:02other filmmakers get into the industry?
29:04Do you mentor
29:06young filmmakers?
29:08Yes.
29:10That's a great question.
29:12I feel like
29:14I'm on the same stage
29:16as them.
29:18Even if I'm not in Rurok
29:20or wherever I am now,
29:22I'm very thankful.
29:24Every time,
29:26I go to different provinces
29:28to give a film workshop for free
29:30to young filmmakers
29:32who are dreaming.
29:34I always talk to
29:36Alamino, 100 Islands Film Festival,
29:38Isla Pelicula,
29:40to a lot of provinces.
29:42I do that for free
29:44because when I look back
29:46at my past self,
29:48when I was a kid in Isabela,
29:50I didn't have internet,
29:52I watched movies,
29:54I watched TV.
29:56There was something in me
29:58that I wanted to be part of the industry
30:00but no one told me
30:02to face it and do it.
30:04Because I was in the province,
30:06no one around me
30:08could inspire me like that.
30:10Now,
30:12I've been through a lot
30:14since the beginning
30:16until I got here.
30:18That's why I'm thankful
30:20for the Outstanding Young Man Award
30:22because
30:24that's what
30:26crystallized,
30:28solidified my dream.
30:30And this dream,
30:32I want to
30:34inspire kids
30:36like me before.
30:38That's why I go to the province
30:40to show them
30:42that this is what I'm good at,
30:44just like me before,
30:46you can dream.
30:48If you're a filmmaker or if you can't
30:50enter the industry like this,
30:52what's important to me is
30:54you know what your dream is.
30:56Because nowadays,
30:58because they feel that there's a lot
31:00available,
31:02sometimes kids forget their dreams.
31:04So I push them,
31:06I inspire them,
31:08I'm happy that I reached the point
31:10where you just go to the island,
31:12you just go to a remote place
31:14to talk to them,
31:16teach them,
31:18it serves as an inspiration for them
31:20to continue their dreams,
31:22to motivate them to do
31:24what they want to do in life.
31:26That's what
31:28I'm thankful for now.
31:30I'm happy
31:32that I was given the opportunity
31:34to go to different
31:36provinces, teach kids
31:38how to tell stories
31:40using
31:42visual language.
31:44At the same time,
31:46you're inspiring them, motivating them
31:48to dream on,
31:50to do what's best for them
31:52and don't give up
31:54so they can reach their dreams like me.
31:56Direk, thank you so much
31:58for sharing your stories with us
32:00and this story.
32:02It's great to see that you're the
32:04perfect example of pay it forward,
32:06give it back.
32:08You don't forget where it came from.
32:10Thank you so much,
32:12Direk, for sharing
32:14all of this with us. We know that you're very busy
32:16especially promoting
32:18your film. But before
32:20we end, Direk, we have a
32:22quick game because
32:24your film is Green Bones.
32:26The title of our game
32:28is
32:30Movie Green Flags.
32:32Movie Green Flags.
32:34I'll just ask you, Direk,
32:36why did this movie
32:38become Green Flags for you?
32:40My first question,
32:42these are all the Green Flags.
32:44What is your favorite
32:46Filipino movie and why was it
32:48a Green Flag for you?
32:50My favorite movie is
32:52Maynila sa Mga Kupo ng Liwana at Death.
32:54Wow, that's what you've been studying.
32:56It's a Green Flag for me
32:58because that became
33:00my formula for making a movie.
33:02Even though
33:04it's a romance,
33:06it tells the life and love of two characters.
33:08It also tells
33:10the situation
33:12and conditions of the people
33:14around them, which is, at that time,
33:16the workers.
33:18That's the formula I like in making a movie.
33:20You follow a lead.
33:22While you're following the lead,
33:24you show the wider
33:26scope, the wider
33:28socio-political issues.
33:30That's what I always aim
33:32when it comes to making a movie
33:34because I always strive
33:36to make my movies socially relevant
33:38because I know
33:40it's very hard to make a movie
33:42that has a plus one.
33:44It should be important.
33:46You can't just tell a love story.
33:48It should be like that.
33:50Make a movie that
33:52will have the attention of more people.
33:54Ah, nice. And how about
33:56your go-to comfort film, Direk,
33:58whether local or international?
34:00Comfort.
34:02I can't say anything about the majority.
34:04What do you prefer, Direk?
34:06Movie or series?
34:08If you just want to relax,
34:10what will you watch?
34:12I'll still watch movies.
34:14I'm a super fan of
34:16Filipino movies.
34:18I'll still watch
34:20Milan,
34:22feel-good movies.
34:26As of the moment,
34:28I always watch
34:30Devil Wears Prada.
34:32It's also very feel-good.
34:34Yes, feel-good.
34:36But at the end,
34:38I like that it's feel-good
34:40but there's a punch at the end.
34:42You'll realize that
34:44that's the point of
34:46making a movie,
34:48what you'll bring after.
34:50In real life,
34:52I watch feel-good movies
34:54but to be honest, I watch movies
34:56not only to entertain
34:58but also
35:00to help me
35:02as a filmmaker.
35:04Wow! Speaking of that,
35:06what's the movie that inspired you
35:08to pursue filmmaking?
35:10The first movie I watched
35:12in the movies
35:14was Titanic.
35:16Wow! How old were you then, Direk?
35:18I was still very young.
35:20I was 11.
35:22I'm from the province.
35:24Watching movies in the province
35:26in the 1990s was an event.
35:28You'd go to the province
35:30and the cinemas were stand-alone.
35:32I just watched it
35:34because it was free.
35:36It was a bit expensive.
35:38We couldn't afford it.
35:40I'm from the province.
35:42You'd go to the market
35:44in the center to watch a movie.
35:46The first movie I watched
35:48was Titanic.
35:50It was so big.
35:52That's the feeling
35:54that you'll bring a lot of people
35:56Is it true that
35:58there's a person behind
36:00the screen
36:02and they're acting?
36:04That's what inspired me
36:06to make a movie
36:08because I wanted to do it.
36:10But do you know, Miss Pia,
36:12what I saw at that time
36:14was a sign of what I'll do
36:16in the next few days.
36:18I saw more
36:20not only the love story
36:22of Jack and Rose
36:24but also their social status.
36:26The two of them.
36:28It's like
36:30a rich woman
36:32falling in love with a poor man.
36:34When it comes to
36:36Titanic,
36:38you can really feel
36:40the difference in treatment
36:42between the rich and the poor.
36:44I didn't know that
36:46when I became a filmmaker,
36:48my perspective was a bit Marxist.
36:50You're always looking,
36:52you're always looking for
36:54inequalities.
36:56The unequality of the center
36:58and the marginalized
37:00of women and men.
37:02All of the dichotomy,
37:04you're making it an issue
37:06or you're giving it a story.
37:08That's when I started
37:10dreaming that I wanted to be a filmmaker.
37:12Something like that.
37:14Because you want to tell stories
37:16about injustices, inequalities,
37:18things like that.
37:20It's like a romance movie.
37:22Direk, after your stories,
37:24I want to watch
37:26these films again.
37:28When you watch it again,
37:30it will have a different context
37:32or meaning. Maybe I will see something else.
37:34I will put it
37:36on my watch list again.
37:38Even Devil Wears Prada, Direk.
37:42Direk, thank you so much
37:44for sharing your time with us.
37:46For sharing all your stories with us.
37:48Before we end,
37:50Direk, can you invite
37:52our listeners to catch
37:54Green Bones? It will be released
37:56in Metro Manila Film Fest.
37:58Green Bones will be released
38:00in your cinemas.
38:02It's part of the 50th
38:04year of Metro Manila Film Festival.
38:06Watch all the films
38:08that are part of the MMFF.
38:10But please, watch Green Bones first.
38:12You will see Husay
38:14and Leruru and Dennis
38:16in the movie
38:18and other artists.
38:20Watch it
38:22and I hope you like it.
38:24If you like it, let's spread it.
38:26Thank you so much,
38:28Direk Zig Dulay.
38:30If they want to find you
38:32on social media,
38:34if you want to ask for advice,
38:36Direk, where can they find you?
38:38A lot of students
38:40ask me about
38:42filmmaking and movies.
38:44I'm always open.
38:46I answer on Facebook and Instagram.
38:48I don't have an ex.
38:50Just look for Zig Dulay.
38:52Or you can email me at
38:54zigcarloatyangho.com
38:56If you want a free workshop,
38:58consultation, I will accept it.
39:00Wow, Direk!
39:02I think your email inbox
39:04will explode after this.
39:06Thank you so much,
39:08Direk Zig Dulay. We wish you all the best
39:10with Green Bones.
39:12It's number one on our list.
39:14Thanks, Direk!
39:16Thank you!