From Romblon to Berlinale, Ryan Machado on the unlikely journey of ‘Huling Palabas’
From Romblon to Berlinale, Ryan Machado on the unlikely journey of ‘Huling Palabas’
Director Ryan Machado talks with SINEGANG.ph film critic Ryan Oquiza about his Cinemalaya-winning film. | Feature art by Abigail Manaluz
Getting into Berlinale caused Huling Palabas director Ryan Machado to march out into the streets in celebration. “Naalala ko ‘yung umagang ‘yon nung nareceive ko ‘yung message,” Machado recounted on a Zoom interview, “Pagkabasa na pagkabasa ko, agad akong tumakbo palabas, nagsisigaw ako, tapos ‘yung ate ko na naglalaba sa labas, nagulat siya kasi akala niya ano ‘yung nangyayari kasi bigla na lang akong sumigaw.”
“I remember that morning when I received the message. As soon as I read it, I ran outside, shouting, and my sister, who was doing laundry outside, was startled because she thought something was happening since I suddenly started yelling.”
This snapshot captures the pinnacle of success for Cinamalaya's Best Director winner. A journey of relentless effort to elevate the small film from Romblon that could, into the global stage. With its sights set on Berlinale, a festival revered for showcasing talents like Lav Diaz and Richard Linklater, this accolade marks a milestone not just for the independent film scene, but as a reward for regional stories that rarely escape obscurity.
Huling Palabas, a coming of age film under the festival’s Generation 14plus category, tells the story of 16-year-old Andoy as he tries to find out who he is and who his long lost father is amidst the VHS craze of the late ‘90s and early 2000s. The film has elements of mysticism and a play-like veneer to it, no doubt thanks to Machado’s extensive experience as a Palanca-award winning playwright.
But as a filmmaker, Machado weaves a net of inspirations that encompass his own personal experiences and set of favorite films. In this conversation, I talk to the director about how he was able to mix different genres into this story of self-discovery and the importance of finally getting Romblon on the filmmaking map.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. An English translation for Taglish answers is also provided below, italicized in a dark-blue text color.
Still from Huling Palabas. Picture taken from Cinemalaya.
How was it like finding out you got into Berlinale?
Unexpected kasi in the past few months, nagsusubmit na kami sa mga international festivals and target na talaga namin ang mga A-list. And we also have Sir Ferdy Lapuz with us na tumutulong sa pagsubmit sa mga festivals abroad. So wala kaming narereceive na magandang balita in December and November. And when I received that email from the programmer na iniinvite nila kami to participate sa competition ng Berlinale na Generation 14plus, tuwang tuwa ako. Unexpected and nakakatuwa, nadinig ‘yung pinagdadasal ko for the longest time na gusto kong mailako itong pelikulang ito sa ibang bansa.
It was unexpected because, over the past few months, we had been submitting to international festivals, aiming for the A-list ones. And we also had Sir Ferdy Lapuz with us, who was helping with submissions to festivals abroad. So, we hadn't received any good news in December and November. And when I received that email from the programmer inviting us to participate in the Berlinale's Generation 14plus competition, I was overjoyed. It was unexpected and delightful, a long-held prayer answered, to bring this film to other countries.
What was the idea behind setting the film during the time of transition between VHS to VCD?
Basically inspired naman siya sa aking experiences growing up dito sa community na ‘to na ang pangunahing libangan during the ‘90s ay panonood ng mga VHS sa mga bahay na mayroong kapasidad na bumili ng VHS player at mayroon nang kuryente. So kaming mga nasa highland, bumababa kami patungo sa lowland na mayroong kuryente at nakikinood. Nakakatuwa ang ganoong experience kasi brinibring together nitong mga palabas na ‘to ‘yung isang community regardless kung ano ‘yung status mo sa buhay at lahat kayo nakaupo sa sala o kaya sa bakuran ng bahay na pantay-pantay.
Lahat kayo nagtatanggal ng tsinelas bilang respeto doon sa may-ari at binibigyan talaga ito ng effort, ng time, at ng money bilang paraan ng kanilang kasiyahan pagkatapos ng mahabang oras ng pagtatrabaho sa bahay o sa bukid o sa dagat. So lumaki ako sa ganoong environment at doon din nagsimula ‘yung inspiration at pangarap na balang araw ay makasama sa ganitong klaseng mundo ng pagpepelikula at doon din sumibol ‘yung pangarap na magsulat at magkwento tungkol sa kanila.
Sinet ko siya sa ganoong panahon kasi bukod sa gusto kong ibalik ‘yung ganoong klaseng pakiramdam ‘yung nostalgia, gusto ko rin siyang irelate sa panahon ngayon na very accessible na lahat ng entertainment at media. So mayroon na tayong mga Netflix, pero dati kasi ang hirap, talagang sasadyain mo. Sinet ko siya sa isang laidback, quaint na community na kakaiba dito sa siyudad, so ‘yung ganoong klaseng pagkakaiba, gusto kong ibalik ‘yung ganoong panahon at siyempre dahil lumaki ako sa Romblon. Gusto ko ring i-feature at ipakilala ang aming komunidad, ang aming wika, at ang aming paniniwala. Adbokasiya ko rin bilang manunulat na isulong ‘yung aming wika, ‘yung aming kultura sa popular culture o sa larangan ng pelikula.
It's basically inspired by my experiences growing up in this community where, during the '90s, the main form of entertainment was watching VHS tapes in houses that could afford a VHS player and had electricity. So, those of us from the highlands would go down to the lowlands where there was electricity to watch. It was a delightful experience because these shows brought together a community regardless of one's status in life, all seated in the living room or the yard on equal footing.
Everyone would take off their sandals out of respect for the host, and it really took effort, time, and money as a way to find joy after long hours of working at home, in the fields, or at sea. I grew up in such an environment, and that's where the inspiration and dream to one day join the world of filmmaking began, as well as the dream to write and tell stories about them.
I set it in that time because, aside from wanting to bring back that feeling of nostalgia, I wanted to relate it to the present where entertainment and media are very accessible. We have Netflix now, but back then, it was hard, you really had to make an effort. I set it in a laidback, quaint community quite different from the city, to bring back that era, and of course, because I grew up in Romblon. I also wanted to feature and introduce our community, our language, and our beliefs. It's also my advocacy as a writer to promote our language and culture in popular culture or in the realm of cinema.
How was it like knowing the significance of having this film be set in Romblon and the support behind filming the project there?
‘Yung Romblon kasi hindi siya masyadong kilala sa larangan ng literatura o pelikula. Wala masyadong nagsusulat about it. Opportunity ito para sa akin na mabigyan ng boses at ng pagkakakilanlan ang lugar namin. Para rin itama ang mga misconceptions about the island na madalas kasi nacoconnect siya sa Visayas tapos ‘yung cliché na mambabarang kami o kaya maraming aswang sa Romblon o kaya marmol lang makikita doon sa probinsya. So sa pamamagitan ng pagkwento ng buhay at ng kultura namin, magkakaroon din ng ibang pagkakakilanlan. At natutuwa ako dahil very supportive naman ‘yung LGU namin at ‘yung mga tao sa amin at tumulong sila sa production, pero nalulungkot din ako dahil kulang o wala ang suporta ng provincial government.
Pumunta kami sa kanila, humingi kami ng tulong, sinadya namin sila, pero sineen lang nila kami, or talagang dinedma. Kaya talagang nakakasama lang ng loob. Nakikita ko rin na kulang ang suporta nila sa ganitong uri ng sining, sa arts. Ngayon nagkaroon na rin ng award ‘yung Huling Palabas, wala pa rin kaming naririnig na kung ano sa kanila or kahit promotion man lang sa Facebook page ng Romblon. Nakakalungkot lang isipin na hindi pa rin kami nabibigyan ng suporta.
Romblon isn't very well-known in literature or film. Not many write about it. This is an opportunity for me to give voice and identity to our place. It's also to correct misconceptions about the island that often associates it with the Visayas, then the cliché that we are sorcerers or that there are many witches in Romblon, or that you can only find marble there. By telling the story of our life and culture, we also gain a different identity. And I'm happy because our local government unit (LGU) and the people in our place are very supportive and helped in the production, but I'm also saddened because the support from the provincial government is lacking or nonexistent.
We went to them, asked for help, made the effort to visit them, but they just ignored us, or outright dismissed us. It's really disheartening. I also see that their support for this kind of art, for the arts, is lacking. Now that 'Huling Palabas’ has won an award, we still haven't heard anything from them, not even a promotion on the Romblon Facebook page. It's sad to think that we still aren't given support.
You’ve had extensive experience as a playwright and crafting short films prior to your full-length film debut, how has your experience shaped your filmmaking style?
Yung bulk talaga ng experience ko is sa playwriting kaya doon nahasa yung pagsusulat ko. Lumaki ako sa VHS era, so noong college na lang ako nagkaroon ng exposure sa teatro. Namangha ako sa kapasidad na magtransform at mag-imagine ng ibang mundo at maging bahagi nito. So parang same lang naman yung mga principles in terms of storytelling. ‘Yung structure niya magkakaiba lang sa medium kaya ang pinakanatutukan ko talaga ay ‘yung pagsusulat at pagcrecreate ng mundo. Yung relationship between the character, so for example itong mundo nila Andoy at Pido, dati ko pa siyang concept noong college ako at nagamit ko siya sa iba’t ibang genre ng pagsusulat like triny ko siya sa short story tapos triny ko rin siya sa play. Binubuo ko rin siya at the same time sa script. So ‘yung ganoong pagbubuo ng mundo, pero at the heart of it is yung relationship nila sa isa’t isa, ‘yun yung gusto kong i-explore. So nakatulong ang pagsusulat ko sa teatro kung paano mas mabuo, mas maging klaro ang kanilang goal.
Sa mga teknikal na aspeto, katulad ng acting, nakatulong din yung experience ko sa theater na maging authentic itong acting ng mga aktor, yung mga choices nila, at dahil din sa teatro, nadala ko rin sa film ‘yung ideya na kailangan ng intimacy coordinator, kailangan ng acting coach para talaga mas pulido, mas malinis ‘yung acting ng mga artista namin. So isa ring important aspect yung collaborative process, malaki ‘yung respeto ko sa teatro at ‘yung disiplina at kung paano nagwowork together ‘yung iba’t ibang department at iba’t ibang crew members. Magandang i-mention na ang intimacy coordinator namin na si Regina [De Vera] ang naging direktor ko sa huling play ko sa Virgin Labfest. Sa conversation ko with Dustin Celestino, madalas na kaming mga playwright, gusto naming mapatunayan yung value ng teatro sa filmmaking and na they can work hand in hand.
The bulk of my experience is in playwriting, where my writing was honed. I grew up in the VHS era, so it wasn't until college that I was exposed to theater. I was amazed by the ability to transform and imagine other worlds and be part of them. The principles of storytelling are essentially the same, just different in medium, so what I focused on was writing and recreating worlds. The relationship between the characters, for example, the world of Andoy and Pido, was a concept I had back in college and I used it in different writing genres, like trying it in a short story and then in a play. Building their world while at the heart of it is their relationship to each other, that's what I wanted to explore. So, my writing in theater helped make their goals clearer, more defined.
In technical aspects, like acting, my theater experience also helped make the acting of our actors more authentic, their choices, and because of theater, I brought the idea of needing an intimacy coordinator, an acting coach to polish and clean the acting of our actors. So, another important aspect is the collaborative process, I have great respect for theater and the discipline and how different departments and crew members work together. It's worth mentioning that our intimacy coordinator, Regina [De Vera], was my director in the last play I did at Virgin Labfest. In my conversation with Dustin Celestino, often we playwrights want to prove the value of theater in filmmaking and that they can work hand in hand.
Your story of queer coming of age is blended with a touch of mysticism, how was it like mixing those genres?
Since inspired din siya sa belief system na evident pa rin sa community at kung paano itong mga mito na ito ay nagiging bahagi ng pamumuhay at pag-iisip ng mga tao. Parang natural lang siya na lumitaw mula sa istorya dahil nga rin sa setting, sa milieu, at uri ng mga karakter na mayroon ako. Hindi talaga siya sadya na yung engkanto, halimbawa, ay pwedeng maging metapora or symbol ng pagiging iba ng mga karakter na ‘to, ng pagiging bakla. Lumitaw na lang siya doon sa kwento tapos ‘yun na rin yung reading ng audience kaya natuwa ako noong nag-FGD kami tapos karamihan ng mga comment ay about the mythical element kung paano siya nakatulong sa pag-oopen ng diskurso tungkol sa pagtingin natin sa mga bakla sa pagiging iba nila sa lipunan. Medyo nasurprise ako, pero at the same time, thinking about it now, it makes sense rin na ganoon ‘yung interpretation sa mga karakter na lagi siyang nalilink doon sa mga engkanto, sa mga mantiw, sa mga natural beings na ‘to na pinaniniwalaan pa rin namin hanggang sa ngayon. Noong pinipitch ko ito, ginusto kong gawing template yung mga films ni Apichatpong [Weerasethakul], yung lyrical mysticism and poetic siya.
This was also inspired by the belief system that's still evident in the community and how these myths become part of people's lives and thinking. It naturally emerged from the story because of the setting, milieu, and the type of characters I have. It wasn’t intentional for the enchantments, for example, to become metaphors or symbols for the characters' otherness, their being gay. It just appeared in the story and that was also the audience's reading, which pleased me during our focus group discussions. Most of the comments were about the mythical element and how it helped open discourse on our view of gay people and their difference in society. I was a bit surprised, but thinking about it now, it makes sense that the characters are always linked to these enchantments, these natural beings that we still believe in to this day. When I pitched it, I wanted to use films by Apichatpong [Weerasethakul] as a template, for their lyrical mysticism and poetic essence.
I love the little details like Andoy occasionally looking down on his feet and him observing people’s body parts, looking for similarities, which are then revealed to have a purpose later on. Talk to me more about those decisions.
Bahagi ng journey ni Andoy sa paghahanap ng tatay niya itong mga munting ritwal na ginagawa niya tuwing pumupunta siya sa mga bahay. Cinecredit ko rin dito si John Torres, mentor ko rin sa filmmaking. Pinag-usapan namin ‘yung vision ng film, ano ‘yung gusto kong sabihin, na bring-up niya yung aspect ng paghahanap. Dapat sa mga bahay maging apparent ‘yung observation ni Andoy doon sa mundo. Kwinekwestyon niya, “Tatay ko ba ‘to?” Kung saan saan siya nakatingin kasi bahagi ito ng kanyang paghahanap, para mas maging clear ‘yung kanyang goal, para mas masundan natin siya, masakyan natin siya. Makakatulong itong mga little things na ‘to sa kanyang journey all throughout. Mula sa pagiging observer, pumasok siya, sumali siya sa kanyang tinitingnan lang dati.
Part of Andoy's journey in searching for his father are these small rituals he performs whenever he visits houses. I also credit John Torres, my mentor in filmmaking, for this. We discussed the vision of the film, what I wanted to say, and he brought up the aspect of searching. In the houses, Andoy's observation should become apparent. He questions, ‘Is this my father?’ He looks around because it's part of his search, to make his goal clearer, to help us follow and understand him better. These little things help in his journey throughout. From being an observer, he enters, becomes part of what he previously only watched.
Are there any other inspirations you used for the film?
Cinema Paradiso, yung obsession and love for cinema, homage siya doon. Madalas nilang inaassociate sa Call Me By Your Name, ‘yung sa relationship with Isidro. Pero ‘yung inspiration na kinuha ko from Call Me By Your Name is ‘yung mood, ‘yung pagiging laidback. Tapos ‘yung kay Taika Waititi, ‘yung Boy, isa rin ‘yun sa inspiration.
‘Cinema Paradiso,’ the obsession and love for cinema, is an homage to it. It’s often associated with ‘Call Me By Your Name’, in terms of the relationship with Isidro. But the inspiration I took from ‘Call Me By Your Name’ is the mood, the laidback atmosphere. And then Taika Waititi’s ‘Boy’ is another inspiration.
Philippine cinema plays a role in the film. Why did you want to make the country’s national history with action, horror, and sex cinema a part of the film’s mythology?
Originally, gusto ko talagang ipakita ang lahat ng genre ng film sa mga bentahan na ‘to. At dahil nga sa budgetary constraints, hindi na namin na-push ‘yung isang bahay na may fan ni Sharon Cuneta at puro drama lang ang pinapalabas noon. ‘Yung desisyon na ipakita ang iba’t ibang genre ay dahil ang laki ng impluwensiya sa amin ‘yung exposure to media at kung ano lang ‘yung available sa amin at that time. ‘Yung mga VHS na nakakarating sa probinsya na madalas ay late, parang one month late kasi namin kailangan hintayin dahil trinatravel pa sa Romblon.
Napansin ko talaga na mas engaged ang mga tao kapag horror at barilan, may aksyon ang mga palabas. Ito talaga ang madalas na ipinapalabas sa mga betahan kasi ito ‘yung mga gusto ng tao. So lumaki talaga ako sa mga pelikula nila Rambo at kina FPJ at heyday nila Rudy Fernandez. ‘Yung horror hindi gaano kasi nga medyo takot din mga tao o kaya naamplify ‘yung takot nila sa community tungkol sa mga aswang. At syempre ‘yung sex [genre] ay limited lang din at actually later na lang din ito noong nagkaroon na ng personal VHS ‘yung mga tao kasi kailangan wholesome pa rin ‘yung mga pinapalabas. Pero lahat ng genre na ‘to ay may effect sa psyche at pag-iisip ng mga tao na hindi lamang ito bahagi ng kanilang source ng entertainment, kundi nakakaapekto rin ito sa pag-iisip, sa relasyon. Kaya personal statement din ito kung paano nakaapekto itong mga palabas na ito sa akin bilang indibidwal.
Originally, I really wanted to show all genres of film in these sales. But due to budgetary constraints, we couldn't push through with one house that was a fan of Sharon Cuneta and only showed drama films. The decision to show various genres is because the exposure to media and whatever was available to us at that time greatly influenced us. The VHS tapes that reached the province were often late, like we had to wait about a month because they were still being transported to Romblon.
I really noticed that people were more engaged with horror and action films, the types of movies they preferred. So, I grew up on movies like Rambo and those of FPJ and the heyday of Rudy Fernandez. Horror not so much because people were also scared or it amplified their fears in the community about witches. And of course, the [genre] of sex was also limited and actually came later when people had personal VHS players because the screenings still had to be wholesome. But all these genres had an effect on the psyche and thinking of people, not just as a source of entertainment but also affecting their thoughts, relationships. So, this is also a personal statement on how these shows affected me as an individual.
In terms of collaboration, what has been the most fulfilling moments on set, whether it be among your actors or crew members?
So noong natapos na ‘yung shoot namin tapos nagpopost na ‘yung mga tao sa social media accounts, natuwa ako dahil common ‘yung kanilang impression na natuwa sila sa shooting, nagandahan sila sa Romblon, natuwa sila sa mga tao. ‘Yung kapamilya ko, ‘yung pinsan ko, bahagi rin kasi sila ng prod kaya natuwa sila roon. ‘Yung isa pang aspect na natuwa sila is ‘yung pag-employ ng intimacy coordinator. It really made the set feel safe. Mismong mga aktors natuwa sila dahil first time nilang magkaroon. Kahit independent film ito, nagkaroon kami ng black backing. Tapos ‘yung set namin, kapag kinakailangan ng nudity, ‘yung mga importanteng tao lang ‘yung nasa set para mapreserve pa rin ‘yung kanilang privacy at mag-set ng boundary doon sa kung ano lang ang pwedeng ipakita. Tapos ‘yung mga non-professional actors namin nagkaroon din sila ng experience sa intimacy coordination na mahalaga ‘yung boses at consent nila sa lahat ng eksena. So they were all safe in that regard. Si Regina very hands-on din siya. Nakikipag-collaborate rin siya sa akin para i-make sure na hindi naabuse ‘yung power, ‘yung authority. Hearing from Cedric, halimbawa, or kay Jay, kasi may mga scenes sila that require nudity, naappreciate nila ‘yung ganoong proseso. At moving forward, gusto nila makita ‘yun sa ibang mga prod.
So, after we finished shooting and people started posting on their social media accounts, I was happy because a common impression was that they enjoyed the shooting, found Romblon beautiful, and liked the people. My family, my cousins were also part of the production, so they were happy about that. Another aspect they were pleased with was the employment of an intimacy coordinator. It really made the set feel safe. Even the actors appreciated it because it was their first time having one. Despite being an independent film, we had black backing. And our set, when nudity was required, only essential people were on set to preserve their privacy and set boundaries on what could be shown. Our non-professional actors also gained experience with intimacy coordination, where their voices and consent were important in all scenes. So, they all felt safe in that regard. Regina was very hands-on. She also collaborated with me to ensure that power, authority wasn’t abused. Hearing from Cedric, for example, or Jay, because they had scenes requiring nudity, they appreciated this process. And moving forward, they wanted to see this in other productions.
Lastly, at SINEGANG.ph we ask filmmakers to share their TAPSILOG movies: tapa = your favorite movie, sinangag = your comfort movie, and itlog = a movie recommendation.
Tapa - Y tu mamá también (dir. Alfonso Cuarón).
Sinangag - Boyhood (dir. Richard Linklater).
Itlog - Close (dir. Lukas Dhont).
