Director Quark Henares on his comeback film Marupok AF: “Very unforgettable experience!”

Rhea Manila Santos

<div><span style="background-color:transparent">With his current film <em>Marupok AF </em>marking his comeback to directing after seven years, Quark Henares revealed what inspired him to return to it.</span></div><p>“Di ba bihira na ako mag-direct ng movie? ‘Yung last movie ko 2016 pa ata or 2015. So when I make a movie, it really means something,” he said.</p><div><span style="background-color:transparent">He shared that he got inspired to get back behind the camera after reading a viral Twitter thread about the real life account of a Cebu-based transgender woman Jzan Vern Tero, on which the film’s story was based on. </span></div><div><span style="background-color:transparent">“I read the thread on Twitter, naalala ko 2am pa yun tapos I couldn’t stop scrolling, grabe. Tapos nag-copy paste pa kami, 19 pages pala yung Twitter thread na yun,” he recalled. “I think one of the things that drew us to the story was bakit, ba’t ginawa nila yun? Hindi naman sila con artists in the sense na kumita sila ng pera. Wala silang nakuha from it. Why do they keep doing it and why did people follow the Beanie character? So that’s really what we try to solve while writing the film.”</span></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-20" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/C9AXskNSX8Y/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fent-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A20%2C%22os%22%3A3703331.3000000715%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="746" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-20" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><p>Direk Quark says he and Jzan worked closely together to make sure her experience was represented well onscreen. </p><p>“She read the script. She lives in Israel so hinihintay namin ‘yung opportunity na mapanuod niya with a real audience,” he said. “I think ngayon, sa lahat ng gulo na nangyari sa Israel, she’s just trying her best to move out. So she’s packing and everything. Hopefully mapanood niya.”</p><p>Direk Quark recalled how the process was in coming up with the script.</p><p>“Even before writing this, kausap namin siya and then all the way to the very last version of the script. Active siya sa whole process,” he explained. “Actually nung nabasa niya, sabi niya, ‘Sigurado ba kayo na ako lang yung kausap niyo?’ Kasi very true yung mga nangyari dito and even ‘yung mga hula ko kung ano yung nangyari sa other side, parang eksakto.”</p><p>“So we gave it justice, kahit papano, ‘yung telling of the story,” he added. </p><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-18" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C76qb3_SBVy/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fent-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A18%2C%22os%22%3A3682157%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="881" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-18" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><a href="https://push.abs-cbn.com/2024/7/12/maris-racal-royce-cabrera-and-ej-jallorina-reveal-their-marupok-moments-in-love-1209" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><u>READ: Maris Racal, Royce Cabrera, and EJ Jallorina reveal their &#x27;marupok&#x27; moments in love</u></strong></a></div><p>First seen last year after joining Cinemalaya and then making the rounds abroad, Direk Quark admitted that his film’s journey was finally coming full circle with its Ayala Malls cinema screenings this month. </p><p>“Nag-premiere siya sa Sundance in USA in January 2023, and  then we took it to Italy for the Venice film festival. It’s been in the Spain LGBTQIA+ festival, New York Asian Film Festival, and LA Asia Pacific Film Festival where it won a special jury prize, Hawaii film festival. And then of course it opened in Cinemalaya,” he said. </p><p><em>Marupok A+ </em>is a film that he really hope everyone would get to watch.</p><p>“Pero medyo bitin kami eh noong Cinemalaya,” he admitted. “We were so happy to show it, pero dapat talaga mapanuod ito ng lahat. So finally thank you to Ayala cinemas for giving us a chance and for playing it in their theaters.”</p><p>Before shooting the film, the <em>Marupok A+</em> director made sure they represented the LGBTQIA+ community in the right way. </p><p>“Learning experience ata ito for everyone making the film. Even sa beginning, we all underwent SOGIE training,” he revealed.  </p><p>Direk Quark admitted that he himself had a need to understand better. </p><p>“Ako, I acknowledge I’m a cishead privileged Filipino, so medyo iba talaga ‘yung lived experience ko compared to the trans community,” he said. “So I really wanted to make it right with the trans community.”</p><p>They had consultants all throughout, as well as keeping in constant communication with Jzan. </p><p>“The love scene, for example, was directed by Rod Singh. We had consultants there all the time. Si Jzan talaga ‘yung kausap namin the whole time for script. So it was made really through her eyes,” he shared.  </p><p>He believes that the message of the film remains relevant in present time. </p><p>“Now that so much time has passed, I feel that the film is still more pressing, still more important especially with the SOGIE law coming up,” he stated. </p><p>“And I think also there was a clip na nag-leak of the person that Beanie (the character played by Maris Racal) was based on na nag-di-direct. Well okay, after everything, wala palang nagbago. So I think we have to be accountable for that,” he added. “We have to be always vigilant that these crimes are paid for. They are hate crimes ‘di ba? So now that there’s hindsight involved, there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done.”</p><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-16" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/C9B19nUSSm4/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fent-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A16%2C%22os%22%3A3538583.3000000715%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="566" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-16" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><a href="https://push.abs-cbn.com/2019/5/21/fresh-scoops/see-direk-quark-henares-bianca-yuzons-unique-pr-36622" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><u>SEE: Direk Quark Henares, Bianca Yuzon’s unique prenup shoot</u></strong></a></div><p>Casting the actors for the film was also easy for Direk Quark, who admits they had an extra talented cast. </p><p>“Si EJ, I think sa simula pa lang, si EJ na kaagad,” he said. </p><div><span id="isPasted" style="caret-color:rgb(65, 65, 65);color:rgb(65, 65, 65)">He recalled having worked with EJ Jallorina years ago on the <span id="isPasted" style="caret-color:rgb(65, 65, 65);color:rgb(65, 65, 65)">Marilou Diaz-Abaya </span>film<em> Bagong Buwan</em>, where he played a child wrangler. It was Quark’s first job in the film industry.</span></div><p>“When EJ came for her reading (for Marupok) sabi niya, ‘Kuya Quark, naalala mo pa ba ako? Ako yung isang bata sa <em>Bagong Buwan</em>.’ I was like, ‘I’m old!’,” he laughed. “But we had no question that it would be EJ.”</p><p>He also had no qualms casting the others, such as Royce Cabrera and Maris Racal.</p><p>“Si Royce nung napanuod ko ‘yung toe sucking scene niya sa <em>Fuccbois</em> sabi ko parang heto na, heto na yung guy natin,” he said. “And I think Maris was doing parang wholesome roles, so naisip namin kung kaya ba ni Maris ito na parang evil personified?”</p><p>Direk Quark shared how Maris’ portrayal of Beanie gave an extra layer to the character.</p><p>“When we wrote the character, sobrang bully ni Beanie, as in bully na siga. And then the Maris read the script, parang mischievous na charming and then dun nag-click agad. Na kaya siya ganoon, na-cha-charm niya yung mga tao,” he explaned. “Of course it can bite back, na bakit ang likable ng character, but ganoon talaga ang mga sociopath. Kaya nagiging cult leader ang mga ‘yan kasi they’re able to reach inside and get something.”</p><p>With a talented and colorful cast with him, it’s no wonder that working with them was not a hardship even during the lock-in shoot.</p><p>“This is really one of the happiest experiences of my life, working with this wonderful cast,” he said. “There’s also Red Ollero, Chai Fonacier, Danny Orsaga, Gabby Padilla. So what a wonderful experience during lock-in. Very unforgettable experience.”</p>

<p>Marupok AF director Quark Henares talks about the long journey his comeback film went through before its local theatrical run.</p>

Marupok AF director Quark Henares talks about the long journey his comeback film went through before its local theatrical run.

Director Quark Henares on his comeback film Marupok AF: “Very unforgettable experience!” | ABS-CBN

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Director Quark Henares on his comeback film Marupok AF: “Very unforgettable experience!”

Director Quark Henares on his comeback film Marupok AF: “Very unforgettable experience!”

Rhea Manila Santos

Published Jul 21, 2024 09:33 AM PHT

Read More:

Quark Henares

Marupok AF

Anima Studios

Maris Racal

EJ Jallorina

Royce Cabrera

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