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| direk macarthur alejandre |
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| at the presscon: laura lehmann, joem bascon, lovi poe and direk mac alejandre |
DIREK MAC ALEJANDRE took it easy after his stint with TV5, but now, he’s back in three new films. He has completed “The Annulment” for Regal Entertainment, but he has also done two other films, “Kaputol” with Cherie Gil and Alfred Vargas, and “Tagpuan” with Iza Calzado and Shaina Magdayao, filmed in New York and Hongkong. In “The Annulment”, did he have any difficulty convincing Lovi Poe and Joem Bascon to disrobe for the camera in their love scenes?
“No, they’re both very cooperative,” he says. “Before we shoot a love scene, inilalatag ko sa kanila exactly what I plan to do, whether they’re doing it in bed, on the floor or sa shower. Yung blocking, ginagawa ko na muna with our assistant director then I ask them if they’d be comfortable with it and they’ll say, okay, gawin na natin.
"I also have to thank our line producer, Manny Valera, who’s very organized. We never argue. Each shooting day is well planned kaya mabilis ang shoot at maaga kami natatapos.”
The movie is presented in a non-linear manner. It starts with the annulment scenes, then the love story of Lovi and Joem is told in flashbacks, starting with how they meet then how their marriage went wrong.
“The movie shows that young people can be so passionate when they fall in love, then there is a reality check and they realize it’s not just all about love. This is where commitment comes in.
"I’m happy that Lovi and Joem both deliver very good performances in their respective roles. They totally capture the happiness as well as the pain of a young couple who experiences the ups and downs of a failed marriage.”
Supporting Lovi and Joem are Johnny Revilla and Ana Abad Santos as Lovi’s parents, Nico Antonio as Joem’s gay best friend, Laura Lehmann as Lovi’s co-teacher and confidante, Matt Daclan as the invalid soldier brother of Joem, Erika Padilla as Lovi’s annulment lawyer, Mico Fabregas as Joem’s lawyer and Myrtle Sarrosa as Joem’s friend who will make Lovi jealous.
The screeplay is co-written by Direk Mac himself with Onay Sales and Easy Ferrer. “The Annulment” opens in theaters on November 13. You can watch its full trailer at Regal Cinema channel on youtube.