DIRECTOR JOEL LAMANGAN is truly the most prolific filmmaker of the pandemic. Others may be jobless but he’s doing movies non-stop.
His “Anak ng Macho Dancer” has just been shown and now, two new films of his will be shown consecutively, “Silab”, a dark sex-drama introducing new nymphet Cloe Barreto on VivaMax on July 9, and “Lockdown”, a slice of social drama about cyber sex workers with daring hunk Paolo Gumabao on KTX starting July 23.
Aside from these films, he has several other completed works waiting for release: “In the Name of the Mother” starring Snooky Serna and Rita Daniela; “Ang Huling Birheng Bakla sa Balat ng Lupa” with Teejay Marquez and Edgar Allan Guzman, and “Deception”, the reunion movie of Mark Anthony Fernandez and Claudine Barretto.
And he is about to start shooting two new movies: ‘Walker”, which is about streetwalkers, and “Bekis on the Run” for Viva with Christian Bables and Diego Loyzaga, scripted by Ricky Lee.
As an actor, he has also finished a new movie "Abe Nida" with Allen Dizon and Katrina Halili, directed by Louie Ignacio, who earlied directed him in
And to think he was infected by the Covid virus when he was about to direct a series for TV5.
“Yes, October last year, pupunta na kami sa location, e pinag-swab test ako, positive daw. Hindi ako naniwala, kasi wala naman akong nararamdamang kahit ano. So pinaulit ko sa iba, positive pa rin.
"Kaya pinalitan ako sa series at nag-self quarantine ako sa room ko, di ako lumabas for two weeks. Positive thinking lang. Total rest and lots of vitamins. Sabi ko sa sarili ko, magne-negative ka.
“Then nagpa-swab uli ako, o, negative na. Di balik na ako sa pagdidirek ng bagong movie. Galit na galit ang mga kapatid ko sa’kin, lalo na yung nasa States, di ako kinakausap.
"E, inatake pa ko sa puso, di ba? So gusto ko raw ba magpakamatay? E, sayang naman andatung, di ba? So habang kaya pa, di sige lang.”
He’s so happy that he can now do movies without any constraints.
“Before kasi, iniisip mo, may censorship, baka di papasa sa MTCRB. E, now na sa streaming pinalalabas at wala sa jurisdiction nila, we have the artistic freedom to do what we want without prior limitations.
"Pangarap ko talaga yung may kalayaan akong gawin ang nais kong gawin at ipakita ang nais kong ipakita na walang pakialam ang anumang ahensiya ng gobierno.”
He’s now more fortunate than other late directors like Lino Brocka and Ishmael Bernal who encountered problems with censorship. In his case, he has become a master pornographer.
“Hoy, ikaw talaga! Hindi naman basta porn lang ang ginagawa ko, no?
"‘Lockdown’ is the first movie set entirely during the pandemic and it reflects the social reality ng mga mahihirap nating kababayang nawalan ng trabaho at napipilitang kumapit sa patalim para mabuhay.
"Yung sex scenes with frontal nudity, integral part ito ng movie kasi trabaho nila yun, e.
"Gayundin sa ‘Silab’ na tiyak na ikaka-shock ng marami dahil yung bida, si Cloe, may ginawa sa ending na di pa nagagawa ng kahit sinong sexy star sa kasaysayan ng pelikulang Pilipino.
"E, kung may censorship, e di hindi ko magagawa ang mga yan.”
Why, what did Cloe do?
“Aba, di panoorin nyo para malaman nyo. Ba’t ko naman ikukuwento dito. Basta may kinain siya, tapos naglakad-lakad siya sa dalampasigan.”
We notice his stars are all new, like Cloe and her leading man, Marco Gomez, also Paolo and his Video Call Boys in “Lockdown”.
“I really want to try giving break to more new actors to help them develop, kasi yung mga dati nating artista, tumatanda na, so we need new blood. Ayoko namang puro matanda ang mga artista ko.
"Maganda ring mag- discover ng new talents na willing na matuto para magtagal sila sa industriya. Cloe is good for a newcomer.
"Nakita ko agad na mahusay siya at wala siyang takot anuman ang ipagawa sa kanya sa eksena.
"Pareho sila ni Paolo, sa umpisa pa lang, ipinaliwanag ko na sa kanila kung ano ang mga hihingin ko sa kanila. Kung ayaw nila maghubad, hindi naman ako namimilit, ibig lang sabihin, hindi pa sila handa.
"Kung ayaw, huwag, di palitan na lang ng iba. But once they agree, then I help them discover their potential as actors.
"At dito sa ‘Silab’ and ‘Lockdown’, I’m proud of my new actors, they all deliver what we expected from them. Hindi kami mapapahiya kaya panoorin nyo.”
