American director lauds Filipino actors in 'Amigo'

Twenty-five years ago, Filipinos gained worldwide recognition for the bloodless revolution that overthrew a dictator through People Power. Today, Filipinos are internationally known for their talents in various fields, including the often-overlooked medium of film. An American director who is one of the prime movers of US independent cinema lauded as "terrific" the Negros-based actors and crew in his latest film "Amigo." John Sayles particularly credited Ronnie Lazaro and Joel Torre of Bacolod City for being "very good actors," a report on news site Visayan Daily Star said. Sayles is one of the godfathers of American Independent Cinema, with two Oscar Award nominations for his films “Lonestar" and “Passion Fish." "Amigo" is his 17th feature film. Philippine-based actors in the film included Bembol Roco, Rio Locsin, Pen Medina, Spanky Manikan, Irma Adlawan, Bodjie Pascua, Joe Gruta and Joel Torre. “We are proud of our own Bacoleños who are part of the cast and production staff," says Joel Torre in the Visayan Daily Star. All the Bacolod artists in "Amigo" are members of The Maskara Ensemble, a La Salle Bacolod-based theatre group. The Bacolod-based cast and production staff included US-based film editor Mario Ontal, assistant director Kokoy Jimenez, art director Dwight Gaston, and production designers Erin and Fergus Martir. Americans in the cast include Chris Cooper, an Oscar Best Supporting Actor awardee, Garret Dillahunt and DJ Qualls. Ways to learn history Though Pinoy period films like “Baler," “Rizal sa Dapitan" and "Concerto" are generally not as popular as romance-comedies or action movies, they are excellent ways of learning about our history. In this case, "Amigo" shows a part of history not recorded in history books, Sayles explains. Filmed in Bohol, "Amigo" is set in 1900-1901 when the US colonial army was pursuing Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo in the hinterlands of Luzon. During the Filipino-American war, close to a million Filipinos lost their lives in the battlefields and from diseases, Sayles said. It also marked the start of American imperialism, he said. Sayles said the film also shows the Americans did not bring the idea of democracy to the Philippines, since Filipinos had been fighting for it for a long time. Amigo is a very human story that tells both the Filipino and American side of the war, unlike other films that tend to be one sided, Sayles added. "Watch the film and you will see the parallelisms with Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan," says Torre, who plays the role of Rafael the Kapitan del Baryo. The film has been shown at the London Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, San Sebastián International Film Festival in Spain and the American Film Institute festival in Los Angeles. Amigo's commercial release is scheduled for July 6, two days after the Filipino-American Friendship Day. Advanced screenings were held this month in Bohol, Cebu, Davao, Manila, Pampanga, Baguio, and Bacolod, as well as in Australia as part of the film's Lakbay Amigo tour. — With Carmela Lapeña/JV/VS, GMA News