Director Carlitos Siguion Reyna Back With Life-Affirming Drama 'Hari Ng Tondo'

CARLITOS SIGUION REYNA, award-winning director of such films as “Hihintayin Kita sa Langit”, “Ikaw Pa Lang ang MInahal”, “Ang Lalake sa Buhay ni Selya”, is back with a new work, “Hari ng Tondo”, written by his wife Bibeth Orteza. His last film was “Azucena” in 2000. “After that, I did docus for NGOs and TV commercials, up to 2006,” he says. “Then I learned that New York U, where I studied filmmaking is opening their Tisch School of the Arts in Singapore so I applied. I’ve been teaching there since 2008: screenwriting, directing, music videos and collaborative projects. I was supposed to return to directing last year in Sineng Pambansa, but ginahol sa oras as I have to go back to Singapore for the start of classes there, which is from September to May. So this year, after the project we submitted was approved by Cinemalaya in January, I was back here in May for the pre-prod of ‘Hari ng Tondo’, then we shot it for 12 days in the month of June.”

How did the project originate? “Bibeth did a short film in Smokey Mountain and I want to do a film about a grandfather and grandchildren after my father died in 2010. So we combined it, a story about a lolo, Robert Arevalo, and his grandchildren, my niece Cris Villonco and my own son Rafa Siguion Reyna, set in Tondo.”

Tondo is near to his heart as he was born at the Mary Johnston Hospital in Tondo. Robert Arevalo plays Ricardo Villena, a self made man from Tondo who got rich but is now on the verge of bankruptcy. He returns to the place of his childhood and rediscovers himself. In the process, his two grandchildren also learn their own life lessons in Tondo. “Robert is our only choice for the title role,” says Direk Carlitos. “He reminds me so much of my own dad in a lot of ways, lalo na sa interactions niya with Cris and Rafa.”

How is it directing his own son? “I directed him before as a child of 5 or 6. Makulit siya, but he listens, very open. May focus siya and he’s a joy to work with.” How about Cris? “I directed her on stage in ‘Walang Sugat’ and with her wide experience in theatre, hasang-hasa na siya and adapts easily to the medium of film.”

Does he expect to win awards in Cinemalaya? “Not really, although everyone who has seen the film says Robert deserves to win as best actor. I’m just too happy to direct a full length film again. Actually, I got inspired when I became one of the jurors in Cinemalaya last year. I saw all the entries and admired the work of many new directors. Sabi ko, sasali ako and now, heto, nangyari na.”