Director Mark King Baco Explains Why Josephine Bracken Is Not Included In The Rizal Teleserye, 'Ilustrado'

WE ASK DIRECTOR Mark King Baco of “Ilustrado” why Jose Rizal’s girlfriends like Leonor Rivera, Nellie Bousted and Consuelo Ortiga are in the GMA-7 bayaniserye that starts airing tomorrow night, but how come his wife, Josephine Bracken, is not in it at all? “Kasi we only show Rizal’s life from childhood until the time he was arrested,” he says. “Yung whole episode ng exile niya in Dapitan where he married Josephine, hindi na namin isinama kasi ang dami ng gumawa noon.”

How come he put fictional characters, like those of Jaclyn Jose and Polo Ravales? “They represent the Spanish people born in the Philippines who oppressed Rizal and his family. Nasa history naman na ninakaw ang mga lupain nila. We try to humanize Rizal here. We show him na nagsusugal, naglalasing, nangungutang kay Juan Luna, nakikitira kasi walang pambayad sa renta. We consulted different historians and they often clash, so we have to choose and take sides.”

Direk King, 31 years old, started with GMA News in 2011 directing for “Imbestigador”, “Reel Time” and “Powerhouse”. He also helmed docu-dramas “Pluma” and “Katipunan”. A graduate of the UP Film Institute, “Ilustrado” is his first primetime teleserye and it starts airing tomorrow after “Strawberry Lane” and before “Hiram na Alaala”.