Director Laurice Guillen On Directing Young Stars In 'Ika-5 Utos', Has A New Movie In 2019, 'Man And Wife'

DIRECTOR LAURICE GUILLEN admits it’s more difficult to direct a show with a big cast like “Ika-5 Utos” compared ‘to her past hit, “Ika-6 na Utos”. “‘Ika-5 Utos’ is about three different families so mas malaki talaga ang casting, samantalang ang ‘Ika-6’, sina Gabby Concepcion, Sunshine Dizon and Ryza Cenon lang ang main cast.

Sa senior members naman ng cast ng ‘Ika-5’ like Jean Garcia, Tonton Gutierrez and Gelli de Belen, konting adjustments na lang. Mga paalala na lang, like si Valerie Concepcion as the main contravida, laging galit, laging ang taas-taas, so I just remind her to tone down para maiba naman ang atake niya sa eksena.”

She says she has to focus more attention on the younger members of the cast: Jake Vargas, Ina de Belen, Jeric Gonzales and Klea Pineda. “Kasi kung minsan, parang wala sa loob nila ang ginagawa nila. They just read their lines in the script without knowing kung saan o ano ang pinanggagalingan ng eksena. Basta mai-deliver lang. So bumababa talaga ako from the van to talk to them na ayusin ang work nila kasi I cannot accept yung kind of acting na okay na yan, puede na yan. I really want to train them well.”

Director Laurice with daughters with Anna and Ina

Aside from “Ika-5 Utos”, Direk Laurice has finished a new movie, “Man and Wife”, based on the classic radio and TV soap opera, “Gulong ng Palad”. It stars Gabby Concepcion and Jodi Sta. Maria and will be released as pre-Valentine presentation in 2019. What are her other plans for the new year?

director laurice with author

“I want to lose weight,” she says. “May bike ako inside my room, pero hindi ko naman nagagamit. Kasi madali akong hingalin, e. At gusto ko na ring magkaapo. My two daughters naman, Anna and Irina, are already of age. I’ve met their boyfriends and okay naman sila. Yun ngang farm ko sa Batangas, ihinahanda ko na, tinataniman ko ng fruit trees para later on, I can show their fruits to my grandchildren. O, itong chico, itong bayabas, itong atis. Sana, daliin na nila para makita ko na ang mga apo ko,” adds Direk Lauurice who's been a widow since 2009 after her husband, the late actor Johnny Delgado, passed away after a terminal illness.

She also remains to be the head of the annual Cinemalaya Filmfest. She’s happy that the last one in August produced many good, acclaimed entries, like “Liway”, “ML (Martial Law”, “Kung Paano Hinihintay ang Dapithapon”, “School Service” and “Distance”. She finds fulfillment in guiding young filmmakers with their new films. “My advise to them always is to be open-minded and humble,” she says. “Kasi yung mga iba cannot accept that they still need mentoring. I always tell them we don’t want to meddle with their work and we really want them all to succeed as filmmakers.”