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Dingdong Dantes optimistic cinema audiences will return starting with MMFF

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Leah C. Salterio

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Dingdong Dantes in " A="" Hard="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/news/12/27/dingdong.jpg"/><figcaption>Dingdong Dantes in &#x27;A Hard Day.&#x27; Handout</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA -- More than worrying about the box-office returns of his Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) hard-action entry, “A Hard Day,” award-winning actor Dingdong Dantes is more concerned about when cinema viewing will return to normal.“The answer is here,” Dantes told ABS-CBN News. “Bumabalik na tayo, although slowly, not totally yet. At least, nagsimula na tayo dito sa MMFF this year. I guess because of so many opportunities later on.”The actor acknowledged the local producers who are willing to risk and still produce films as he remains optimistic that the glory days of local cinema will be back soon.“Unti-unti, maibabalik natin ‘yan, kasi mahal na mahal natin ang industriyang ito,” Dantes said. “Gagawin nating lahat para mabuhay ulit ito at marami pang Pilipino ang magka-confidence na manood ulit ng sine.”Dantes is grateful to the MMFF organizers and especially the producers who are brave enough to bring back the annual film fest to cinemas. A decade ago, Dantes bagged his first MMFF best actor trophy for Joyce Bernal’s horror film, “Segunda Mano” (2011), with Kris Aquino and Angelica Panganiban.The following year, Dantes was proclaimed best actor again for the MMFF entry, Ruel S. Bayani’s romantic-drama, “One More Try” (2012), with Panganiban, Angel Locsin and Zanjoe Marudo.“More than anything, I’m more worried na hindi na tayo makakabalik,” lamented the two-time MMFF best actor. “We got to start somewhere and now is a very good opportunity because everything is opening up. Thank God, bumababa na ang mga [COVID] cases.“Mas natuto na tayo on how to really manage this pandemic. Hindi naman pwedeng hindi na bumalik ang mga dati nating ginagawa. Kailangan nating mabuhay at magkwento. Kailangan nating magpakita ng ganitong klaseng pelikula.”Dantes is extremely proud about his MMFF entry, director Lawrence Fajardo’s “A Hard Day,” an adaptation of a 2014 action flick. Although he doesn’t have anything against adapting foreign materials, Dantes also pushes for original materials for local films or TV series.“Karamihan ng trabahong ginawa ko na may adaptation, nasa TV,” noted Dantes, who previously starred in “Descendants of the Sun,” an adaptation of the South Korean TV series. “Ang guiding principle ko diyan, bilang isang artist, I’ll make sure balance ang lahat.“Kung meron akong sampung gagawin, I will make sure na dalawa, okay lang na remake. But the eight others, sisiguraduhin kong original at atin talaga. It’s just a matter of balancing these things, with the ultimate goal of telling great stories.“If the story is really worth telling, just like this one [‘A Hard Day’], why not? There is a reason bakit nanalo siya ng mga awards. For me, sa mga hindi nakapanood nito, lalong-lalo na ang mga Pilipino, I will not deny them the opportunity of experiencing the story.“Much more, ginawa natin siya sa version natin. Sa akin naman, wala namang issue dahil ito ay originally galing sa isang banyaga. As an artist, para sa akin, kailangan may balance.“If we accommodate these stories of other countries, if we remake them, we have to make sure we have a significant amount of projects that are originally sa atin. Gawang Pinoy na masabi nating originally, sa atin, para mabalanse naman ng tama.”Dantes had seen the original South Korean version of “A Hard Day” and he only assured himself that in the Philippine version, he will be true to the core of his character, detective Edmund Villon.“Everything else, Filipino style na even the way we interpret the story,” he pointed out. “I guess that is also the key of the film, because it allows us to really show the realities of our current situation. Naging totoo ang lahat ng pagganap.”From his first-time co-star, John Arcilla, whom he fondly calls “Heneral,” after Arcilla’s role as the critically-acclaimed “Heneral Luna,” Dantes subsequently learned important acting methods while working and even after wrapping up the film.“While I was in a lock-in taping for a series, I was able to watch ‘OTJ [The Missing Eight]’ for the first time, ‘yung kabuuan at nakita ko talaga ang performance ni Heneral doon at talagang na-impressed ako.“The small nuances of an actor, it paints a big picture kung sino ka bilang isang character. Napakahusay ni John Arcilla sa ‘On The Job.’ Lalong-lalo na ‘yung mga maliliit na gestures at galaw niya bilang isang disc jockey.“No wonder, he is a Volpi Cup best actor. Marami kang mapupulot talaga sa mga ginagawa niya. Hindi siya madali. I don’t think he planned everything and he just did it. It was part of a process. That process is definitely his secret as an actor.”In “A Hard Day,” Arcilla plays Lieutenant Ace “Alas” Franco. “We may never know what his process is,” Dantes said about Arcilla. “That’s why I’m privileged that I came close to figuring out what his process is because I got to work with him first hand.“Sana, sa mga susunod ko pang gagawin, because I always consider myself as a work in progress, marami pa akong mapupulot at matutunan sa pagta-trabaho naming dalawa.”Without giving spoilers, Dantes specifically mentioned the ending of “A Hard Day,” which they shot for four days. “Literal na balibagan talaga sa pader ‘yun,” Dantes said. “Apat na araw akong binabalibag ni Heneral at sobrang intense talaga.“I will never forget that, dahil since four days naming na-shoot, dapat ‘yung continuity ng dugo sa mukha, hindi nagbabago. One time, I went home with fake blood on my face, my daughter, Zia, asked me, ‘Ano ang meron sa mukha mo?’“I told her, blood effect ‘yan. Parang catsup, because I’m doing this role. There’s this person who kept on throwing me sa mga pader. Then nagpa-kwento siya about the scene, so I briefly told her what happened in the ending.“Karamihan na action na nagawa ko in the past, kung hindi sa TV, medyo bits and pieces lang from the other films that I have done. Dito sa ‘A Hard Day,’ from start to finish, day one up to the last, hard-core action talaga.”Being with Arcilla made the experience more worth it for Dantes. “Talagang ‘pag nag-in-character si Heneral, nakakatakot siya bilang his character. That’s how much he imbibes his role.“Whenever he wears his character, kung hindi ka man napapa-action, mapapa-action ka niya. Sa husay niya talaga. I’m very privileged to work with him. In scenes like we did together, kasing halaga ng actor ang co-actor especially in the action scenes.“Our action scenes together wouldn’t look as realistic as what we did kung hindi nagkakaroon ng magandang chemistry at reaction ang ka-eksena mo. I think kaya rin naging ganitong ka-hard core ang pelikuka, dahil sa collaboration namin.”More than being a hard-action film, however, “A Hard Day” is also suspense-drama, as described by Dantes. “That’s why it’s very exciting. Four days namin natapos, then two minutes lang sa screen.”“A Hard Day” literally went through a “hard” experience. “Tignan mo naman ang pinagdaanan ng buong pelikula,” Dantes said. “Pinagdaanan niya ang isang pandemya, although nandito pa rin tayo.“But after everything that has transpired, after more than a year, we’re just really happy to be sharing this project with everyone. Especially dito sa MMFF, maipalalabas na ang movie. Simbolo na bumabalik na ang movies, kahit slowly.”With Arcilla as his co-star, Dantes did not have to be complacent on the set. “When he’s around, you have to be always on your toes. Baka may gawin siya tapos kailangan, ready ka mag-react. That was my experience with him.“Kung ako handa when I arrived on the set, siya, sobrang handa. Natural lang talaga for me to react that way. Napakalaki ng demands ng characters namin. Siya, pag-apak pa lang niya sa set, nakakatakot na talaga. Na-imbibe na niya agad ang character niya.”Dantes attested his experience working with Arcilla in “A Hard Day” is really different. “It was very humbling because ang dami ko palaging natututunan sa bawat film project na ginagawa ko.“’Yung mga natutunan ko sa mga nakaraang taon, nanggaling sa kanya. He is globally recognized. I’m truly grateful that Viva gave me a chance to work with Heneral. I hope other artists, the young ones and those who want to try the acting field, might be given a chance to work with him.“They will really learn a lot about professionalism, about his love for his craft and respect for others. Pumapasok siya sa taping na puyat. Aside from ‘Probinsyano,’ he was doing two other films. Pero walang katiting na reklamo ang maririnig mo.”Working with Arcilla is also inspiring. “Wala kang makikitang ebidensiya na napapagod na siya. Actors like him, iba ang kalidad ng professionalism. He’s really someone I look up to, that’s why I am really grateful I was given the chance to work with him.“Not just work with him, but our film gave me the chance to really get to know him. Although nagkasama na kami before on TV, but only very short-lived. Now, we text each other. I also get to try his lechon, the Heneral Lechon.“Whenever we have intimate things to tell each other, we use messaging to talk to each other. I’m really grateful that I got to know him through this movie.”Admittedly, Dantes was even intimidated by Arcilla. “Lalo na ‘pag suot na niya ang character that he portrays, sobrang intimidating siya. Kaya nakakatakot. But I think it made the scenes with him more effective.”“A Hard Day” “was supposed to be one of the films in the first Summer Metro Manila Film Festival in April 2020. The project is special to Dantes because of the timing of the showing that will start on December 25.“Imagine, dumating tayo sa chapter ng buhay natin kung saan clueless tayo sa mangyayari sa ating lahat. Sa buhay natin, sa health, sa industriya natin. “Very significant din itong pelikulang ito dahil isa ito sa mga hindi naituloy ipalabas. It was supposed to be shown in April last year, when the first lockdown started. Isa din ito sa mga unang pelikula na babalik din sa ating makabagong panahon.“It’s a sign of hope that one day, everything will go back to normal and even better. Ang dami kong natutunan dito. At para sa akin, hindi ko malilimutan ang pelikulang ito.”Dantes honestly does not pine for a best actor award from the MMFF. “Umaasa ako na kahit papano, merong mga manonood na babalik sa sinehan. ‘Yun ang pinagdadasal ko, higit sa kahit ano pa.“My objective is not to win a best actor award. Happy ako na nagawa ko ‘to and nagawa ko ito with Heneral.”

Dindong Dantes acknowledged the local producers who are willing to risk and still produce films as he remains optimistic that the glory days of local cinema will be back soon.