WRITER-DIRECTOR JOEY REYES is optimistic that his new youth movie, Regal’s “Walwal”, will click with today’s Millennial audiences since the stories of its four lead actors are something they can relate with. “Walwal means walang pakialam, but we impart the message na anuman ang maging resulta ng mga ginagawa nila, tama man o mali, they should feel responsible,” he says. “Dapat matuto ang young people nating panagutan ang actions and decisions nila and be accountable for it.” And he’s just happy that his four actors, Elmo Magalona, Jerome Ponce, Kiko Estrada and Donnie Pangilinan, are all very committed to the movie. “I can see their eagerness na mapaghusay ang performance nila,” he says. “Mahal talaga nila ang ginagawa nila and their enthusiasm can be quite contagious.”
Joey is currently teaching college courses in La Salle so he is very much aware of how young students conduct their own lives and affairs in this age of social. All his experiences and insights that he gained from interacting with them are accurately reflected in “Walwal”.
“The script was written by Gerald Foliente, the best student in my writing class who’s the youngest one accepted by Ricky Lee in his workshops. I gave some inputs but everything that he wrote in the script is his. He’s a millennial himself, so he is in the best position to write about millennials. Young people today seem to be confused kasi naghahanap sila ng mga magga-guide sa kanila. When I did ‘Pare Ko’ with the Guwapings, magulo rin ang mundo at that time pero hindi kasinggulo ngayon na nag-aaway-away ang different factions sa social media. So tinalakay namin yang issues na yan sa movie.”
How did the four stars feel after being directed by Joey Reyes? “He’s a great director and I’m so happy to be given the chance to work with him,” says Elmo. “He really deserves everyone’s respect.”
“He definitely knows his craft as a filmmaker,” says Jerome. “Ang maganda, he’s not the type who’s a terror on the set but he can be very jolly, so magaan ang trabaho. He really wants to perfect it sa first take pa lang, para mas natural ang labas at hindi overcooked ang dating on screen.”
“He’s a master filmmaker with so many awards to his name, kaya it’s really a pleasure and a great privilege for me to be given the chance to work with him,” says Kiko.
“For a newcomer like me, it’s truly a blessing to be directed by him as my mom (Maricel Laxa) speaks so highly of him,” says Donny. “I appreciate it that he gives us freedom to express ourselves. We don’t have to follow what’s in the script to the letter as he allows us to go beyond that.”
