The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
It was the last quarter of 2021 when I learned that internationally acclaimed director Brillante Ma. Mendoza was doing a film not on his usual themes and topics on sex, drugs and violence but a food movie.
I got to know it when I called him and he said that he came all the way from Pampanga to shoot a new film which he would title “Apag,” a Kapampangan word suggestive of a dining table. Familiar with Pampango phonetics where ordinary Tagalog words starting with the consonant “h” is unpronounced—e.g. “hapag” which is a Filipino word for table, commonly referred to food placed on it.
It was also the time when Lito Lapid, one of the senators of the land, had a presscon at Max’s Restaurant in Scout Tuazon in Quezon City. Incidentally, Lito was one of the members of the cast of “Apag” who had to go immediately to the resto for the confab. Brillante advised me to attend it as he recommended me to Lapid who also knew me. I couldn’t go to the presscon, though, as I was on my way to the province.
Meanwhile, Mendoza intimated that he had considered Aljur Abrenica to star in the film because he wanted a cast who were familiar with, much more, a Kapampangan language speaker. Aljur fitted the job. Alas, Abrenica wasn’t available to do the part.
Dante, Brillante’s pet name, thought of calling Coco Martin to replace Aljur although he wasn’t sure he’d agree as second fiddle.
It was good news for both Coco and Brillante because the former was available at the time—ABS-CBN’s “Ang Probinsiyano” was on its last season. And being Dante Mendoza’s protégé, Martin knew his priority and would always do anything for his mentor at the drop of his hat.
“It was a blessing in disguise when Aljur begged off from the project that Coco was free at the time,” said Mendoza.
There was another film already shot and done by Dante, though, with Coco as the lead actor with Julia Montes in it but the project is still pending.
So, “Apag” is the certified reunion movie for Coco and Dante, the mentor and the student, respectively. Prior to the together-again stint on the big screen of the two was a television commercial (TVC).
The food film which is written by Arianna Martinez also stars Gina Pareño, Jaclyn Jose, Shaina Magdayao, Julio Diaz, Mercedes Cabral, Gladys Reyes, Vince Rillon, Joseph Marco, Mark Lapid and Ronwaldo Martin, is the official entry of Centerstage Productions and the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society to the first ever 2023 Summer Metro Manila Film Festival on April 8 in cinemas nationwide.
Tomorrow, March 28, a special screening of the film at SM North EDSA sponsored by SM Cinemas through the generosity of Millie Dizon. BOY VILLASANTA