By: Nestor Cuartero
JUST A THOUGHT: “The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.” – Ann Landers
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CULTIVATING AUDIENCES: By venturing into TV, award- winning director Brillante Mendoza says he wants to cultivate audiences in his bid to widen their taste for meaningful televiewing.
Brillante has been doing work for TV5, known for its alternative programming. The network recently aired a made for TV film of his, Kadaugan, an episode from Brillante Mendoza Presents. Kadaugan, set against a lesser known festival of the same name in Mactan, Cebu, celebrates the Filipino spirit against all odds.
Brillante is launching a new 12-part mini-series called AMO, which tackles government’s war against drugs. AMO premieres on August 20, 9:30PM and will air every Sunday on TV5.
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HARDEST TO SHOOT: Derek Ramsay recalls how challenging it was to shoot under the direction of Mendoza, who relies a lot on reality scenes. The crew shot inside a thickly populated squatters’ area in Mandaluyong.
The alleys were so narrow you could hardly move, he said. At some point, he feared for his life upon hearing that the area was infested with drug pushers and snipers, too. Derek plays a police officer tracking down drug pushers and users in Amo, where a fresh newcomer, Vince Rillon, plays the crucial lead role.
Derek says that as a contract artist of TV5, he is open to playing both lead and character roles. ‘I dont want to play the good guy all the time,’ he said.
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VIOLENCE AND VIGILANTES: Amo is a 12-episode miniseries set against the background of the country’s War on Drugs. It depicts situations including the rampant vigilantism against suspected illegal drug personalities.
The first episode tells the story of Joseph, a high school student peddling “shabu” initially to his fellow gang members and later on to a much bigger market in Metro Manila. Amo also shows the controversies revolving around the Philippine National Police in the government’s campaign against drugs as well as its role in rightfully enforcing it.
Also in the cast are Allen Dizon, Felix Roco, Apollo Abraham, Archie Adamos, Baron Geisler.