By MARK REY MONTEJO
There are always captivating stories behind every journey of athletes which film director Clev Mayuga aims to capture and share to the Filipino audience.
As the 2024 Paris Olympics draws near, Mayuga’s love of sports led her and Malaya Creatives to create a heart-warming series that showcases the Filipino athletes’ journey on their way to qualifying to the biggest sports spectacle in the world.
Titled “Puso in Paris”, the four-part documentary, created in partnership with Smart, the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee, is aimed at showing the process of becoming an Olympian.
“When we were creating the idea of Puso in Paris, it was clear to me that I don’t want to do the origin stories, what they went through, or what they got from it,” Mayuga told Manila Bulletin after the exclusive media screening of Puso in Paris at Smart Tower in Ayala Ave., Makati City Tuesday, July 16.
“Because I feel like people already know about it. What we want to encapsulate in Puso in Paris is what is the process or journey of being a Filipino Olympian,” the University of the Philippines Diliman alumna and mental health advocate added.
The series featured boxers Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam, Eumir Marcial, Hergie Bacyadan and Aira Villegas; weightlifters Elreen Ando, John Febuar Ceniza and Vanessa Sarno; gymnast Carlos Yulo; and pole vaulter EJ Obiena.
Mayuga and her team followed the athlete’s journey during their respective training and competitions: in Bangkok, Thailand where Bacyadan and Paalam earned their Olympic slots, at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex where the three weightlifters train, somewhere in Manila where Yulo also hones his craft, and in Los Angeles, California in one of Obiena’s competition stints.
Mayuga said these moments in their preparations played significant roles in the series that can help the viewers understand their hardship and sacrifices.
“I think what we got is how excited or how much the feeling of privilege of the athletes to represent the Philippines in the Olympics,” Mayuga said.
“It also shows what athletes need to achieve that level of excellence and greatness. But per episode, we looked at the story of each one and their mindset going into the Olympics,” she added.
According to Mayuga, the feature is a way of honoring the Olympians as well and the people behind them.
“Oh, for sure. Honoring them and also showing the Filipino people that if you really give support to the athletes, like what SMART, MVPSF, POC, PSC are doing,” she added.
The series will be divided in four parts, starting with Yulo, followed by the five boxers and three lifters, with Obiena’s journey as the final episode.
