Flonique Guimary

How the late director Mike de Leon shaped Charo Santos as an actress

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Nikka Avegail Sabio

Push Team

<p>For actress Charo Santos, working with Filipino director Mike de Leon was more than an experience in filmmaking; rather, it was a masterclass in understanding what it means to be a good actor.</p><div> </div><p>Speaking at Jo-Ann Maglipon’s <em>SINE • FILM • PELIKULA: The 100+ Greatest Movies of Philippine Cinema </em>book launch, Charo recalled how Mike helped shape the kind of actress she would later become, beginning with her first lead role in <em>Itim</em>.</p><div> </div><p>“The three films left different marks. Yung <em>Itim</em> yung una kong pelikula, so niraramdaman ko pa kung anong klaseng pagganap ang kakayanin ko, ang appreciation ko portraying a character. But, in the first film, si Direk Mike, tinuruan niya na ako ng restraint, curiosity, silence and that good acting doesn’t necessarily have to be announced,” Charo recalled.</p><div> </div><div><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-21" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DN5bFtcEwIn/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=642&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A21%2C%22os%22%3A26218124.600000143%2C%22ls%22%3A5691402.200000048%2C%22le%22%3A5691681.100000143%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="778" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-21" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:658px;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="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><strong> </strong></div><p><em>Itim</em>, a gothic supernatural horror film, follows a young photographer who encounters a mysterious woman while visiting his father in the town of San Ildefonso during the lenten season. Charo starred in the film alongside Tommy Abuel and Mario Montenegro.</p><div> </div><p>Working with Mike taught Charo that sometimes a performance could be more powerful because of things left unsaid.</p><div> </div><p>“Ayon ang natutunan ko na sometimes mas nakukuha mo yung mensahe sa isang tingin, sa silence, sa hesitations, at hindi kailangang dalhin ang lahat ng dayalogo,” she added.</p><div> </div><p>Charo noted that Mike&#x27;s approach to filmmaking also went beyond simply understanding a character or following a story. He also delved into how his actors understood the world in which those characters existed.</p><div> </div><p>“Si Mike bilang director, alam na alam niya yung punto de vista na gusto niya sabihin sa pelikula niya. Hindi lang siya tungkol sa istorya o kwento ng mga characters niya. Kailangan maintindihan mo rin the world that the characters inhabit kasi hindi lang naman simpleng kwento ang gusto niyang ilahad,” she explained.</p><div> </div><p>She went on: “Gusto rin niya na magbigay ng mas malalim na mensahe tungkol sa pamilya, komunidad o sa mundo in general.”</p><div> </div><p>Charo also expressed that Mike&#x27;s style of directing was giving his actors a framework and expecting them to understand how their characters operated within it.</p><div> </div><p>“Yung collaboration niya, it’s not the modern take of collaboration where you discuss everything because he is very clear of his expectations of the characters and his point of view. You just have to live within his boundaries of storytelling, within his framework and he&#x27;s very sure about his framework and he trusts that you understand his character. In the sense, he gave you his freedom,” she stated.</p><div> </div><div><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-22" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/Db4iEkUk6-X/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=642&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A22%2C%22os%22%3A26218937.200000048%2C%22ls%22%3A5691402.200000048%2C%22le%22%3A5691681.100000143%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="967" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-22" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:658px;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="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><strong> </strong></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/articles-news/digitally-restored-mike-de-leons-film-classic-itim-starring-charo-santos-to-screen-at-10th-qcinema-intl-film-festiv-18465" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>READ: Digitally-restored Mike De Leon’s film classic ‘Itim’ starring Charo Santos, to screen at 10th QCinema Int’l Film Festival</strong></a><strong></strong><br/></div><div><strong> </strong></div><p>“Ganoon si Mike, demanding as an artist. He expects you to know your role. He expects you to be prepared.”</p><div> </div><p>One anecdote that came to mind was the time when Charo was a first-time line producer and an actress for Mike’s film <em>Kisapmata</em>. She recalled a dining room scene involving Jay Ilagan and Ruben Rustia, with Vic Silayan and Charito Solis also part of the cast. They had already begun rehearsals when Charo realized she had forgotten a blouse needed for continuity. Since her house was nearby, she asked for five minutes to retrieve it.</p><div> </div><p>“Dahil sa dami kong inaasikaso behind the scenes, nakalimutan ko yung blouse eh malapit lang ang bahay ko, sabi ko ‘Give me five minutes kukunin ko lang po yung blouse,’ kaso biglang sumigaw (si Mike) ‘Pack up!’ so I had to apologize to everyone,” she shared.</p><div> </div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1788338466672540587615_18373454815146535_4942269710395299205_n.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner"><em>charosantos Instagram</em></span></span></span></div><div><strong> </strong></div><p>“For three days, hindi ko alam kung babalik pa siya sa set kaso festival movie ito so may deadline. So, sabi ko wala akong choice. So I have to approach another director and I have to go to him (Mike) and ask him kung babalik pa siya sa set kasi kung hindi mapipilitan ako maghanap ng ibang director at hindi ko alam kung sinong tatanggap,” she recalled.</p><div> </div><p>Charo shared that she personally went to Mike’s house to ask him if he still wanted to do the film. Fortunately, he said yes and finished <em>Kisapmata</em>, which became one of the critically acclaimed films in the history of Philippine cinema.</p><div> </div><p>“We never ever talked about it until the day he passed away. Never binalikan,” she continued. “Yung lesson na iyon will stay with me forever na you have to pay attention to all the details.”</p><div> </div><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Ftvpatrol.abscbn%2Fvideos%2F779843691323948%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=560&amp;t=0" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><strong> </strong></div><p>Looking back on her time with the late director, Charo expressed how much he has had an impact on her perspective as an actress even years after. </p><div> </div><p>“Mike really shaped me as a performer. I think my kind of acting is quiet, restrained. There’s a lot of curiosity and there&#x27;s a lot of courage also and truth in my performances, and that’s the biggest influence he has on me,” she expressed.</p><div> </div>

<p><b>Charo Santos recalled working with late Filipino director Mike de Leon in 'Itim' and 'Kisapmata'.</b></p>

Charo Santos recalled working with late Filipino director Mike de Leon in 'Itim' and 'Kisapmata'.