Director Gil Portes Completes 'Hermano Puli' & Now Starts Shooting 2016 Metro Filmfest Entry, 'Moonlight Over Baler'

DIRECTOR GIL PORTES says his “Hermano Puli”, written by Enrique Ramos and starring Aljur Abrenica in the title role will be shown on September 21. “The Dakila NGO group involved with human rights, who helped promote ‘Heneral Luna’, is also helping us promote it,” he says. “We’re visiting 40 different schools all over the country to promote it and conduct symposia for educators and student leaders. We’ll have our premiere night on August 29. Ito namang ‘Moonlight Over Baler’, we’re filming it on location in the beautiful coastal town of Baler with the help of Sen. Sonny Angara, tapos isasali namin sa December filmfest. It’s an epic tale of romance and sacrifice that spans generations and is based on the real love story of an aunt of mine in Quezon.”

The story is set in 1986 after the EDSA People Power Revolution. Elizabeth Oropesa plays Fidela, an aging school teacher who was tutored by no less than Dona Aurora Quezon, the wife of the great son of Baler, Pres. Manuel Quezon. She sees Kenji (Vin Abrenica), a photographer who covered the EDSA affair, and she’s stunned because he’s the perfect replica of her first boyfriend, Nestor (also played by Vin). They were supposed to get married when World War II broke out. Nestor is a soldier, so he went off to war and never came back. Fidela and Kenji became friends, but Kenji’s real love is a local lass, Ellen Adarna as Rory.

Also in the movie are Sophie Albert as the young Fidela, Daria Ramirez as the mom of Ellen, Menggie Cobarrubias as Jaime (the husband of Fidela), Aaron Yanga as the young Jaime, Abel Estanislao as Marcial (the mayor’s son who Ellen truly loves), Alvin Fortuna as Sgt. Dinglasan, Kate Alejandrino as Isay, Jess Evardone as Ka Berto, Jun Nayra and Blaine Medina as Ellen’s parents and Dennis Coronel as Julio, with the legendary Armando Reyes as assistant director.

“Moonlight Over Baler” is produced by Rex Tiri, owner of Limbaga 77 Restaurant whose company, T-Rex Entertainment Productions, also bankrolled “Hermano Puli”. Rex says he has seen a cut of “Hermano Puli” and he’s very impressed by it. Pang-award daw. Here’s hoping it will be supported by viewers and hit it big at the box office. And here’s also hoping that “Moonlight Over Baler” will qualify at the Metro-Manila Filmfest.