JUST A THOUGHT: The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance. It is the illusion of knowledge. – Stephen Hawking
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LOVING LAV: Cannes winner Brillante Mendoza laughs off sheer comparison with Venice filmfest champion Lav Diaz, claiming that in the end, the two of them should support each other. They are, in fact, the best of friends, he says.
Brillante let out an impish laugh when a media person quipped that his new film – a TVC, really – is too short at 2 minutes only. The internationally recognized director explained that some subjects deserve longer treatment than others.
Brillante would rather call his new product a (short) film than a TV commercial.
He said that this latest production of his, an advocacy short for carers for the sick, is actually a tribute to unsung heroes.
Brillante said he connects with the material, reason why he put his heart into it. “I believe in the story as it’s very Filipino.”
I took note that the scenes involving sick persons and their carers looked so real. Were they actual scenes from real life?
Brillante said they were staged using non-professional actors. He deemed it important to use non-actors to establish credibility in creating scenes with the right emotion.
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TRIBUTE TO CARERS: “Pagpupugay” highlights dedication of carers of the sick.
It captures the struggles faced by a spouse, a sibling, a parent, son, daughter, a family member or a professional caregiver when they care for a sick loved one/patient.
Brillante said the challenge for him was to draw out the right emotions from the actors to truly reflect the real struggles of the carers they portray.
RiteMed’s GM Vince Guerrero said the short film quickly connected with Filipinos that it has been trending since its release two weeks ago. The film has been viewed close to 3 million times on RiteMed’s official Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/RiteMedOfficialPage/). It has also been posted on RiteMed’s official website (www.ritemed.com.ph) and YouTube channel.
“The story is beautiful that all I had to do was execute it well. This film is unique because it was the first time I did a project about caregivers and carers. We normally forget about the difficulties they go through. Taking care of the sick is emotionally, physically, and psychologically tiring,” Mendoza said.
The film shows various scenes of what a family member or a professional caregiver faces when caring for a sick person – physically attending to the sick, dealing with his outbursts.
Mendoza captured the raw emotions involved, using his trademark style of laying bare the struggles of real individuals.
The core message of “Pagpupugay” goes well with RiteMed’s “TamangAlaga” campaign because it highlights that healing is not only about doctors and medicines. It is also about the love and comforting dedication of those around them.