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WATCH: Director offers a glimpse into the making of 'Ang Larawan'

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Adrienne Ross

<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/a7T2DAUUvn8?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="~//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="~//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>With big budget studios and star-studded flicks dominating this year&#x27;s 2017 Metro Manila Festival lineup, it&#x27;s easy to overlook this little movie based on Nick Joaquin’s seminal play &quot;A Portrait of the Artist as a Filipino.&quot; </p><p>Set in old prewar Manila, &quot;Ang Larawan&quot; tells the story of two sisters struggling to make ends meet after their painter father falls ill and fails to produce art—it&#x27;s theme of overcoming ravaging poverty remains unfortunately relatable even today. </p><p>Rachel Alejandro plays one of the troubled sisters with co-star Joanna Ampil under the direction of Loy Arcenas, who opened up on ANC&#x27;s &quot;Headstart&quot; on Friday about how he wanted the movie to serve as a love letter to Filipinos. </p><p>&quot;I think it will touch Filipino hearts more than anything else because I think it speaks of ourselves [and] it speaks of our wishes,&quot; said Arcenas of his work. </p><figure class="op-interactive"><div id="IVS_ABS_Body_Video_1_Container"> <ivs-player id="IVS_ABS_Body_Video_1" data-ivs-spid="3001339" data-ivs-key="e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603" data-ivs-vid="1444167" data-ivs-floating="1"></ivs-player> <script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/iframe-parent.js"></script> <script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js"></script> </div></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="~//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="~//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>A labor of love, the musical drama took two years to complete hindered by budget constraints, reshoots, and other technical challenges. And while filming felt like a &quot;family affair&quot; and that it only ate up less than three weeks of everyone&#x27;s schedules, polishing the final product took an &quot;unimaginable amount of time.&quot; </p><p>The result, however, was nothing short of amazing, with foreign critics praising it as an &quot;excellent visual feast.&quot; Alejandro and Ampil also got a special mention in the reviews, their voices described as &quot;soaring&quot; and &quot;eloquent.&quot; </p><p>The movie premiered at the Tokyo International Film Festival last month, and, according to Arcenas, its music and words &quot;managed [to cross] boarders and cultural differences.&quot;</p><figure class="op-interactive"><div id="IVS_ABS_Body_Video_2_Container"> <ivs-player id="IVS_ABS_Body_Video_2" data-ivs-spid="3001339" data-ivs-key="e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603" data-ivs-vid="1444177" data-ivs-floating="1"></ivs-player> <script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/iframe-parent.js"></script> <script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js"></script> </div></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="~//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="~//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>He explained that in making the big-screen adaptation, his team wanted to stay as loyal as possible to Joaquin&#x27;s masterpiece.</p><p>But he did admit that a third of the original material had to be edited out as it was three hours long and completely sung-through. His movie version, to compare, is two hours long, half-spoken and half-sung.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><div id="IVS_ABS_Body_Video_3_Container"> <ivs-player id="IVS_ABS_Body_Video_3" data-ivs-spid="3001339" data-ivs-key="e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603" data-ivs-vid="1444169" data-ivs-floating="1"></ivs-player> <script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/iframe-parent.js"></script> <script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js"></script> </div></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="~//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="~//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>Ahead of its local premiere, Ampil and Alejandro&#x27;s rendition of the movie&#x27;s theme song, &quot;Kay Sarap Ng Buhay Nung Araw,&quot; was released online—an attempt to give fans a chance to familiarize themselves with the soundtrack. </p><p>The full album will be released by Star Music next week. </p><p>&quot;Ang Larawan,&quot; which also stars Nonie Buencamino and Paulo Avelino, among others, is one of the eight official entries to the 2017 Metro Manila Film Festival. It will debut on Christmas day. </p>

<p>With big budget studios and star-studded flicks dominating this year's 2017 Metro Manila Festival lineup, it's easy to overlook this little movie based on Nick Joaquin’s seminal play 'A Portrait of the Artist as a Filipino.'</p>

With big budget studios and star-studded flicks dominating this year's 2017 Metro Manila Festival lineup, it's easy to overlook this little movie based on Nick Joaquin’s seminal play 'A Portrait of the Artist as a Filipino.'