Director Jun Lana's Award-Winning 'Mga Kuwentong Barbero' Offers So Many Scenes That Will Surely Shock You

AWARD-WINNING writer-director Jun Lana says “Mga Kuwentong Barbero (Barber’s Tales)” is the most demanding movie he has ever done. “It’s hard to do kasi period movie siya, set in 1975 during martial law and the town where we shot it is deep in the mountains of Quezon. You have to cross two rivers and a mountain to get there. So, physically exhausting talaga for the cast and crew. Tapos, walang kuryente, no signal, no accommodations kaya we just sleep in an abandoned schoolhouse. When I first wrote the script in 1997, walang producer na gustong gumawa nito kasi it’ll be expensive to do. I offered it to Kris Aquino kasi bagay sa kanyang material set during the Marcos regime, but she never got back to me. I offered it to Eugene Domingo but she was so busy then doing several movies. But when she read the script, she loved it and agreed to do it. With her on board, it became easier for us to get funding from Hongkong.”

He admits he’s so nervous now that “Mga Kuwentong Barbero” is now showing in several theatres. “Alam nyo naman ngayon, puro love stories ang kumikita rito sa atin. E, our movie is not a love story, hindi siya formula, wala siyang love team. Si Uge plays a widow na lady barber. But I hope people will see its merits. Uge won best actress in Tokyo for her performance here. The film won the Audience Award in Italy and I won best director in Madrid for this. Sinuportahan ito ng mga taga-ibang bansa. Sana naman, suportahan din ng mga kababayan natin who care for meaningful local films. Mapapanood din sa pelikulang ito si Nora Aunor in a special guest performance sa final sequence ng movie. Dito rin mapapanood ang lips-to-lips kissing scene nina Uge at Iza Calzado in a key scene. Abangan nyo kung ano ang gagawin ni Iza during that scene dahil masa-shock kayo.”

And it’s true. We’ve seen the movie and you’ll really be shocked. But that’s not the only shocking scene in the film. What happens to Eddie Garcia as the town priest is also shocking. And what Uge does to Noni Buencamino, Iza’s husband in the story, is another shocker.