By RUEL J. MENDOZA
SEVENTEEN years bago muling gumawa ng pelikula ang award-winning film director na si Mike de Leon (huli pa nitong obra ay ang “Bayaning 3rd World” na pinalabas noong 2000), nakilala si Direk Mike dahil sa mga obra niya noong Golden Age of Philippine Cinema noong ‘70s and ‘80s na “Kisapmata,” “Kakaba-kaba Ka Ba?,” “Kung Mangarap Ka’t Magising,” “Batch ’81” at “Sister Stella L.”
Sa kanyang pagbabalik, isang kuwento ng journalist na nagngangalang Jake Herrera ang kanyang isinulat kunsaan bida ang TV journalist na si Atom Araullo.
Isang personal movie ito at tribute ng director sa pamosong film studio noon na LVN.
“I have often wondered, why make a film again after almost 18 years? I cannot say with absolute certainty. There were two possible reasons.
“One, perhaps the sad fate of the LVN studios which the family eventually lost still weighed heavily on my mind.
“I pondered long and hard how a family blessed with such a unique cinematic legacy could squander it and not even blink.
“I always think of ‘Citizen Jake’ as some sort of fitting end to the legacy of two filmmakers from two generations – my grandmother, Lola Sisang, and my Dad, Manuel or Manny,” ayon pa sa post ni Direk Mike sa official Facebook page ng pelikula.
Para naman sa first time actor na si Atom, inamin nito na nagdalawang-isip siya na tanggapin ang pelikula. Pero hindi niya nagawang ibale-wala ito dahil sa pagkakataong makatrabaho si Direk Mike.
“I knew that there were risks, but the potential of doing something new and something worthwhile and a project with Mike de Leon was just too amazing an opportunity to let go of.
“Palagay ko naman kahit gumawa ka ng pelikula, hindi naman nawawala ‘yong kakayanan mong gumawa ng istorya.
“As a journalist, hindi naman all of a sudden makakalimutan mo kung ano ‘yong journalism ethics…the skills that have been acquired all those years. I hope that people look at it positively,” diin pa ni Atom.
Kasama pa sa cast ng “Citizen Jake” ay sina Max Collins, Luis Alandy, Cherie Gil, and Gabby Eigenmann.
