Ni ADOR SALUTA

KARARATING lang ni Piolo Pascual mula sa 66th Berlin Film Festival, naiuwi ang Silver Bear award ng kanilang  pelikulang Hele Sa Hiwagang Hapis, opposite John Lloyd Cruz and directed by Lav Diaz.

Ganado si Piolo sa pagkukuwento ng naging karanasan nila sa Berlinale kaya’t nasabi niya na nais niyang makagawa ng ganitong klaseng pelikula taun-taon.

“If you have writers that are ahead of their time and who are brave enough to make such concept, yeah. It’s a privilege. It’s really a privilege. Kaya nga no’ng ginawa ko ang Hele I really insisted,” sabi ng aktor sa kanya pagdating ng bansa.

“More than anything, it’s giving prestige to the country. It’s good because we have a presence already in a big festival,” aniya pa.

Tungkol naman sa kanilang pelikula na produced ni Direk Paul Soriano at ng kanyang TEN17P, natutuwa si Piolo na kahit walong oras ang inabot ng kanilang  movie,  walang nabagot sa panonood. Kabilang sa naging audience ng Hele Sa Hiwagang Hapis sa Berlinale ang festival participants, film critics, spectators at ang Berlinale jurors na sina Clive Owen at Meryl Streep.

“It was well-accepted by the critics especially Lav. He was a superstar. He was a rock star and we were his posse. Kami ‘yung nasa likod niya, nagpe-presscon siya, ini-interview siya, and nasa likod lang kami. It’s Lav’s time to shine.”

Well-received ang kanilang film dahil, “It kind of served its purpose,” pagmamalaki ng aktor.

“When the film was pitched to me I was thinking it was high time for Lav to be recognized locally because kilala siya sa Locarno (International Film Festival) and other festivals abroad and, you know, our generation should embrace somebody like Lav because he is edgy and he doesn’t care about what people say about his work. But when you watch it, you will have respect for him as a director, the kind of respect that people from the other countries are giving him. He deserves to get that kind of recognition here in the Philippines,” papuri ni Piolo sa kanilang direktor.

Ibinida rin ni Piolo ang pagkakaiba ng awards night doon at sa atin. Isang oras lamang daw ang itinagal ng gabi ng parangal at naipagkaloob na ang sampung awards

“There was no intermission, no production number. We started at 7:00 and we ended at 8:00 on the dot. It was no frills ang bilis lang, everyone was given ample time for their speech kapag nanalo. It was organized,” sey ng aktor.

Dagdag pa niya, bukod sa iniuwing Silver Bear trophy, ipinagmamalaki niya na nakasama niya sa isang dinner ang Hollywood superstar na si Meryl Streep, na itinuturing niyang isa sa highlights ng kanyang Berlinale experience.