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Earning ‘Respeto’: With international offers, director Monteras poised for wider audience

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Miguel Dumaual, ABS-CBN News

<p>TOKYO — With its music and message making a mark in international film festivals, “Respeto” replicated its success in the Philippines and opened doors for its director, Treb Monteras II.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">LOOK: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Respeto?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Respeto</a> actor Abra and director Treb Monteras II on the red carpet of the 31st Tokyo International Film Festival. The film is part of the Crosscut Asia section, which focuses on Southeast Asian films that feature a variety of music genres <a href="https://twitter.com/ABSCBNNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ABSCBNNews</a> <a href="https://t.co/bFtAfebCof">pic.twitter.com/bFtAfebCof</a></p>— Jose Miguel Dumaual (@migueldumaual) <a href="https://twitter.com/migueldumaual/status/1055390191215493120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2018</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>Monteras, together with breakout actor Abra, are attending the film’s latest overseas showing here at the 31st Tokyo International Film Festival. “Respeto” is being screened under the Crosscut Asia section, which focuses this year on music-infused Southeast Asian films.</p><p>The hip hop film about parallels between Martial Law and the present government’s war on drugs will have participated in 6 more international festivals by the end of the year.</p><p>But already, “Respeto” has scored Monteras opportunities he never expected, considering the film is his feature-length debut. In January, he was approached by an official from a streaming service platform as raves poured in for the film in Rotterdam, Netherlands.</p><p>“May streaming services and foreign producers na lumalapit,” he told ABS-CBN News. “Binubuksan nila ‘yung pinto nila para sa akin, na parang, ‘Anytime, if you’re ready to present your ideas to us…’ Of course, may negotiations and series of pitches pa na mangyayari.”</p><p>Careful not to mention names, Monteras said he recently completed a pitch to one company. “Sa akin kasi, kahit ano pa ‘yung genre niya — musical, romcom, comedy — palaging meron pa rin siyang socio-political na statement kung maaari.”</p><p>“Parang ‘Respeto,’ sumasalamin pa rin sa kung ano ang nangyayari. Kasi, inisip ko, kung iyon ‘yung nagustuhan nilang gawa ko, dahil doon sila lumapit, dapat ganu’n din ‘yung ihahain ko sa kanila,” he added.</p><p>If the winning formula for “Respeto” is anything to go by, the new project will appeal, on the surface, to popular culture, then open up to a commentary on social issues.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Respeto?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Respeto</a> director Treb Monteras II explains how hip hop helped communicate the film’s socio-political message to a younger audience. The Abra starrer is part of the Crosscut Asia section of the 31st Tokyo International Film Festival <a href="https://twitter.com/ABSCBNNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ABSCBNNews</a> <a href="https://t.co/Wd1NdIVLOG">pic.twitter.com/Wd1NdIVLOG</a></p>— Jose Miguel Dumaual (@migueldumaual) <a href="https://twitter.com/migueldumaual/status/1055752652221407232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2018</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>Speaking at the Crosscut Asia symposium in Tokyo, Monteras explained how he set out to achieve this with “Respeto.” He was seated alongside directors from Cambodia and Vietnam, whose films were similarly featured in the music film category.</p><p>“It’s wise to use music to get the younger people inside the theaters,” Monteras said, “Because if I tell them that this film is about Martial Law or the extra-judicial killings, I’m sure few would watch it. But we promoted it as if it’s ‘8 Mile’ or ‘Straight Outta Compton,’ and they thought it’s just a hip hop movie, but they realize in the end, it’s more than just about the music.”</p><p>Monteras cited this as a “key learning” from his movie debut and said he was planning to apply it in his future projects. (He is also set to direct the latest big-screen adaptation of “Pedro Penduko,” starring heartthrob actor James Reid.)</p><p>Abra, the rap star whose portrayal of Hendrix won him his first-ever acting prize, from Gawad Urian no less, echoed his director’s sentiments in a separate interview with ABS-CBN News. Credited as one of the movers of current-generation Pinoy hip hop, Abra agreed that the music genre can serve “a deeper and higher purpose.”</p><p>&quot;Maraming kuwento sa Pilipinas at mga Pilipino na masarap ikuwento in rap. Isa sa mga paraan na ‘yun, nagawa sa film, so kakaiba. Astig. Sobrang saya para sa kultura,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;Masaya makita ‘yung drive ng mga filmmaker at mga artista, na ganu’n ‘yung level ng passion nila. Hindi lang about fame and money. It’s something na maihahain natin at magiging proud tayo in the years to come,&quot; he said.</p><p>Abra and Monteras made no secret of plans to collaborate again, but remained tight-lipped on their future plans. What they did let slip is carrying on the same mission they had in “Respeto,” which incidentally has earned them the same — respect — from an international audience.</p>

<p>With its music and message making a mark in international film festivals, “Respeto” replicated its success in the Philippines and opened doors for its director, Treb Monteras II.</p>

With its music and message making a mark in international film festivals, “Respeto” replicated its success in the Philippines and opened doors for its director, Treb Monteras II.

Earning ‘Respeto’: With international offers, director Monteras poised for wider audience

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Earning ‘Respeto’: With international offers, director Monteras poised for wider audience

Miguel Dumaual,

ABS-CBN News

Published Oct 28, 2018 01:52 PM PHT

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Treb Monteras II

Abra

Respeto

Tokyo International Film Festival

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