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Fabulous! Fabulous! Fabulous!

An interview with Zombadings writer and producer Raymond Lee
by Don Jaucian

Known for his work in some of the most important films of the past decade, including The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros, Endo, Tanging Yaman, and In My Life, Raymond Lee collaborates again with writer Michiko Yamamoto and director Jade Castro to deliver what probably is the funniest film of the year, Zombadings 1: Patayin sa Shokot si Remington

In a seemingly bright portent of things to come, when Sir Raymond was telling me about the scene in the film where Daniel Fernando’s rant is drowned out by a marching band, a marching band suddenly passed by. We were in SM Mall of Asia, at Chatime, just minutes before an advanced screening of Zombadings 1 sponsored by his UP batchmates. We talked about the creation of Zombadings, working with some of the people he admires, the alarming rise of gay killings in the country, and the negative reactions to their film, something that has been talked about since the its premiere as the closing film of Cinemalaya 2011.

Although Zombadings is a comedy, it tackles a serious issue about gay killings, something that is apparent in the country. Lee was seriously concerned about the issue, so when he was introduced to the Philippine LGBT Hate Crime Watch by J. Neil Garcia, he invited them to spread awareness about their crusade against hate crimes. 

“Nung nakita ko yung page nila, may mga information about gay killings. Naisip ko na alarming na tumataas yung gay killings sa Pilipinas. So I invited them na mamigay ng leaflets for information sa mga advanced screenings namin,” Lee said. “Parang medyo strange kasi yung movie namin comedy na may issue about gay killings pero sa totoong buhay nangyayari siya. This is a serious matter. Ang tingin kasi ng ibang criminals, easy target yung gays. Kaya kailangan magkaroon ng awareness. Their group saw the movie, hindi sila na-offend. They said it was funny. Saka kasi sa movie, we showed that the town was concerned about the gay killings. Yung mayor was concerned, hindi naman nila binalewala yung mga problema. Pinakita naman sa tao that they value the gays”

Read on for the rest of the interview.

How was the concept behind Zombadings created?

Bago siya nabuo, nagsimula muna siya sa isang idea na na-trigger ng isang incident na nangyari sa akin sa Lucban [Quezon]. Andun ako, naglalakad, ine-enjoy yung weather, tapos biglang may dumaang batang lalake, siguro mga 6-years old. Ang sabi, “Bakla.”Pero hindi naman talaga “BAKLA!” pero yung tone ng “bakla” niya parang may konting derision. Medyo na-surprise kasi ako kasi yung Lucban, I knew it to be a very gay-friendly town. So nung sinabi ng bata yun, napaisip ako, “Ay, san galing yun?” Parang medyo na-surprise ako. Hindi ko ine-expect yun pero parang wake-up call din sya na talagang may discrimination pa rin, na kahit sabihin na napaka-accepting [ng ibang tao] at napakasarap ng buhay ng mga bakla sa Pilipinas, maraming tanggap na mga bading or love ang mga bading, aminin natin na meron pa ring ganung kind ng discrimination. Yung simple name calling, yung pag-ridicule, akala natin harmless pero it still exists. So, dun nabuo yung concept na what if merong bata na ganun siya, kahit saan syang magpunta basta may nakita siyang bakla, tinatawag niya, inaasar niya. Pati mga hindi halatang bakla alam niya na bakla, tatawagin niya. Yung initial concept nga mismo, parang gaydar na mismo yung bata, living gaydar.

Thoughts on the negative reaction on the film?

Majority of the people who have seen the film see it as pro-gay, and they’re right, it’s a very pro-gay movie. I think that the anti-gay reading is just too literal. We already knew that it might elicit such reaction when we thought of the concept. I think that the film went beyond the original premise. It complicated the curse so the movie doesn’t say na sumpa yung pagiging bakla. In this case, sinumpa yung bata na may hate for gays na maging bakla para maransan niya kung pano maging bakla pag-laki niya. If you pay closer attention to the details, like yung hate speech ni Daniel Fernando na tinabunan ng marching band music, that for me its a touching gesture. We don’t need to hear the hate. Maraming beses na natin narinig kung bakit sinasabi ng ilang sectors, and it’s really a minority of our society na nagsasabi na masama maging bakla. Even the religious [sector], hindi naman nila sinasabi yun. And also the ending, with John Regala. Di ba may lines sa movie na sabi ni Remington, “Mas gugustuhin nyo pang maging bilet kayo kaysa magkaroon ng anak na beki?” John corrected his son. Ang sabi nya it’s not about homophobia: “Papunta ka pa lang, pabalik na ako.” Napaka-forward-looking nun kasi parang sinasabi nun na in a lifetime pwede kang magkaroon ng dalawang sexual orientation. Kasi si Martin nagsisimula pa lang sya eh, pero sabi ng father nya, ako nagdaan na ako dyan, ako na lang yung maging bading. 

Why did it take two years to make the film?

That incident happened to me late October or early November two years ago. We developed the story and wrote the first draft of the script before Christmas. Syempre, yung pag-develop ng script took a few months as well as the investments needed to start the film. This is also our biggest-budgeted film as a group. I didn’t want to be controlled by just one investor, so we divded the investments to small chunks. We explained to our friends kung ano yung ginagawa namin and those who believed in it invested. Assembling the cast also took a long time. Pefectionist ako pagdating sa casting. Pati yung mga extra ako yung pumipili. Yung mga friends ni Remington puro non-actors halos yun. Ninety-nine percent of them are from Lucban. We started shooting last year sa Pahiyas. We shot the movie in 20 days pero hindi tuloy-tuloy.

Tell us about the casting of Mart Escudero for the role of Remington.

Meron na kaming na-cast na at least two other actors before we got to Martin. Nagkaroon kasi ng mga problema sa scheduling, hindi pwedeng makipag-halikan sa kapwa lalake, or hindi pa talaga ready yung actor. So naghanap na kami. I said we couldn’t start shooting this without the Remington that we would be confident in. So we went to GMA because Martin was with them then. At first I wasn’t really impressed kasi I’ve seen him in some dramas. Pinagawa namin sa kanya yung scene na nagising siya sa kama with Jigs na nasa kama sila and I was so surprised na comedian pala siya. He’s such a good comedian. Physical yung comedy niya but its not too blatant, not too OA. For me it’s intelligent kasi it’s coming from inside, parang motivated yung pagka-slightly over the top. It’s not coming from nowhere. So naging frontrunner na si Martin for the role of Remington but we didn’t stop looking kasi baka may na-overlook kami. When we were sure na si Martin na si Remington, dun na rin kami nag-lock kung sino yung magiging su Jigs. We had a few choices kaya lang kailangan bumagay na best friend ni Martin. Si Kerbie [Zamora] perfect kasi looks pa lang malaki na yung contrast. Pati sa temperament, personality, magkaiba rin. Si Kerbie, kahit na hindi experienced na actor, natural sya, hindi sya affected, kayang ma-train and maganda yung attitude. With Lauren [Young], called casting din, pinadala ng Star Magic. Nasurprise kami na she’s only sixteen. Nagtinginan kami ni Jade after the audition, “My god, sya si Hannah!” Sabi ni Jade papasikatin namin siya kaya lang bago pa lang namin nirelease yung film bida na sya sa Mula sa Puso.

How was it working with Roderick Paulate? 

It has been my dream ever since to work with him. He is one of my idols. Some of my favorite Filipino films are Roderick Paulate films and I don’t tire watching them. He always makes me laugh. I’ve never met him before. I just called up his manager that we have this movie, we have a role for Roderick. It’s not a leading role but would he mind looking at it. So we sent him the script. We waited for a couple of weeks. Walang answer so we started to audition for the role of Roderick. Then we got a text from his manager, “Roderick will do it.” Binasa pala niya ng buo yung script and he loved it. He knows his role is not that big but it’s very important. He took it. Inspiring s’ya pag nasa set siya. Grabe yung energy niya. 

On going head-to-head with a Star Cinema film on August 31

I told my team, “If people say we have a good film, let’s hype that up.” So we’re trying to get as many people [as we can] to see it. The challenge now is getting the cinemas. Apparently, nag-bunch together yung Hollywood releases sa 24 and 31, plus may Star Cinema pa. Hindi naman lahat ng sinehan sa Pilipinas may twelve screens. Marami four lang. Hindi kami makapasok sa screens na yun. So now we’re trying to solve it creatively, suggesting alternative schedulings, mga ganun. Sabi ko sa team ko, let’s just take it as an opportunity for Filipino films to shine against Hollywood. Syempre, aaminin ko naman na nagulat din ako sa move ng Star Cinema and hindi rin ako natuwa dun pero hindi ko na kailangan mag-dwell dun. May room naman [for both] to do well. Sana lang ma-protect yung day 1 namin. With the advanced screenings, the word of mouth has been great and if enough people will watch it on August 31, I think it will find its audience, kahit na hindi kasing-bilis ng pag-find nung sa Star Cinema. Star Cinema will find their audience faster, they have the publicity, TV spots, the machinery to do it. Kami, it will be a longer haul but we’re in it for the long term naman. Sa amin baka marathon siya so we have to save our energy. Eventually, the movie will get to the people who want to see it. We’re trying to solve kung pano mapapataas yung [number of] screens, yung awareness, and yung interest para tumaas yung traffic sa first day. Yung per screen average we have to drive it up even without TV spots. 

Many people were disappointed that Odette Khan was underused.

That role wasn’t big in the first place. I just wanted to cast Odette Khan because I’m a fan of Odette Khan since I was a kid. Dream ko makatrabaho siya. Nung sinulat ko yung role ng Mayor ang sabi ko huwag kami mag-cast ng traditional role na lalake na politician yung dating, [dapat] si Odette Khan! Nahanap ko yung number ni Odette Khan, so I explained to her about our movie. Sabi ko, “Ma’am, yung character niyo po hindi kami sure kung babae siya or lalake pero lagi po siyang naka-barong.” Ang sabi lang sa akin ni Odette Khan, “Wala akong barong.” Wala siyang problema na non-gender specific yung role niya! Hindi naman namin ni-label na tomboy yung role niya. Wala lang, aliw lang! 

About the use of gay lingo in Zombadings, do you think more people will open up to homosexuals with the use of gay language?

Because it was done in a fun and light way, I think it was lovable the way it was used. I think people, even the straight, are beginning to use some words. Na-assimilate na sila and there’s nothing wrong with that. Language is alive. In that sense, I’m not purist. Even yung jejemon I welcome that kasi ang true test is what’s relevant and significant to the times will stick; whatever doesn’t stick maybe isn’t that important. So kung ano man yung mga bagong words, let them all come out. Like nung 70s, may mga words na nag-stick, merong hindi. Ganun din ngayon, merong mga maiiwan merong mapapalitan ng bago. And it’s not that political also. Parang it’s just nice that its a minority seeping into the mainstream through language. Ako rin actually, hindi ko maintindihan yung ibang sinasabi ni Remington. Sa script, Tagalog sya pero naka-indicate lang na dapat ito gay speak or yung iba sinubukan naming i-gay speak and nung pinabasa ko sa kaibigan ko sabi nya, “Day, palitan mo naman ‘to, lumang-luma na yung gay speak mo dito!” So in-involve ko yung mga estudyante ko sa UP. Tinulungan nila akong mag-translate ng ibang gayspeak into a more updated and young gay speak. Yung “Azkaban,” inimbento ko lang yon! 

Raymond’s photo via Jessica Rules the Universe/Ian Felix Alquiros Photography. Know more about the Philippine LGBT Hate Crime Watch on their Facebook Group Page. Zombadings 1: Patayin sa Shokot Si Remington opens August 31 nationwide. Attack mga teh!

ala ang cute naman. 

(Source: vviviana, via yousobangable)

aww :)))) 

(via hashtaghappy)