Manila (CNN Philippines Life) — Known for his gritty and in-your-face depictions of the lives of Filipinos in marginalized sectors, Brillante Mendoza was an interesting choice to direct President Rodrigo Duterte’s first state of the nation address (SONA) in 2016. It was Mendoza’s first time to be at the helm of a national event, a directorial project that has very real repercussions even when the camera stops rolling.
If the job of directing Duterte’s SONA was given to another director, however, just how different would the outcome be? CNN Philippines Life reimagines the speech through the lenses of five filmmakers, each with his or her own trademarks.
Cathy Garcia-Molina
In Cathy Garcia-Molina’s latest, most kilig production, “Partners for Change,” the First Daughter Inday Sara Duterte emerges from backstage as the orchestra led by Gerard Salonga plays the sweeping theme song written by Ryan Cayabyab for this event. The First Daughter is wearing a wig culled from Star Cinema’s vault. She trips on her way to the podium to introduce her father. It all happens in slow motion. From the other side of the stage, her brother Baste emerges to catch her. The orchestra swells as Baste catches his sister. He helps her stand up. “OK ka lang ba, sis?” She fixes her wig and smiles. Baste offers a hand. “Tara, let’s be … Partners for Change.”
Lav Diaz
The six longest SONAs in the history of the Philippines belonged to Ferdinand Marcos. Duterte is going to knock him out of the top spot after this sweeping masterpiece from Lav Diaz. It starts off with Duterte waking up; the narrative is then transported to a drug dealer’s point of view and follows him for the next two hours. Duterte finally arrives at the venue and gives his speech for the next four hours. While all this is happening, there is also an exploration of Filipino roots, and how the early colonials paved the way for the disintegration of the true Filipino identity.
Gino M. Santos
Rounding up all the titos and titas in the house, Gino M. Santos’s production of the SONA has the hottest DJs in the land playing out the sickest beats you could imagine. Half of the production budget goes to the lights, with a huge-ass background that shows off important and buzzy words that Duterte is including in his speech. The “Love Me Tomorrow” director has hired the calligraphy artist Abbey Sy to create custom designs for key words, and her process is live-streamed on Facebook for the millennial market. The show starts with a special dance number by the Mocha Girls and ends with a fireworks display during Piolo Pascual’s much-hyped DJ set.
Peque Gallaga (with Lore Reyes)
For the first time in history, the SONA is entirely shot with a green-screen background. Using the latest technology, Peque Gallaga, with Lore Reyes takes audiences through places they’ve never been before, like the Spratly Islands or China’s newest crib in the West Philippine Sea. The viewers are taken to a different fantastical world for every point in Duterte’s speech. The section on lowering criminal liability takes place in what looks kind of like Mordor, but done with a limited budget. Gallaga also reprises the “snowing in Rizal Park” sequence in his 1998 classic “Puso ng Pasko” during the president’s bit about climate change. Perhaps the biggest development during the SONA is the president’s announcement that Inday Sara will in fact be the new Darna. The Metro Manila Film Festival cannot come fast enough.
Carlo J. Caparas
The event begins with Carlo J. Caparas’s return to his 90s murder film roots. Kris Aquino stars as a Chinese drug dealer operating within the posh suburbs of Makati. The camera follows the police as they plan to take her down. Meanwhile, she’s in the bathtub and doing coke. Drugs are bad. In the next scene, the entire hall goes dark — there is just one light and it’s fixated on the president. Caparas said in an interview that he wanted to bring in the thrills with only the president’s speech and that alone.
