The altruism of Brillante Ma. Mendoza

I’ve known internationally acclaimed director Brillante Ma. Mendoza for more than four decades.

As a matter of course, we have worked in some film projects together which I promoted like “Gabriela” with Carmi Martin as titular lead that Boy C. de Guia, the still missing producer, entertainment journalist, talent manager and TV host line produced for Tata Esteban, the director of the movie.

Brillante, who was still sporting his professional screen name Dante Mendoza, was the Production Designer (PD) of the film.

Dante and I always saw each other on the set especially when Kuya (a term of endearment to an older man by affinity or brother by blood) Boy and the rest of us Special People (with Lhar Santiago, Danny Vibas, Pilar Mateo, Ronald Mendoza) would go up Bataan Province to visit the location shoots.

I would also help out in the publicity of Dante’s other PD works like “Takaw-Tukso” directed by our friend (and my UST Faculty of Arts and Letters’ Phi Chi Rho frat bro) William Pascual.

Besides these connections, Dante was also running around with other new film creatives at the time like the now famous filmmaker Jeffrey Jeturian, the late art historian, PD and director (of the movie “Instant Mommy” before passing on) Leo Abaya and the late great writer-director Armando “Bing” Lao. Except for Bing, Dante, Jeffrey and Leo were housemates in an apartment in Kamuning IN Quezon City.

At the time, Jeffrey and Leo were my classmates at the first scriptwriting workshop of now National Artist for Film Ricardo Lee, also known as Ricky Lee.

Jeturian and Abaya would somehow tell stories to Dante of our adventures in Ricky’s classes.

And Mendoza would also meet me with Jeff and Leo.

I’ve known Dante to be generous of his knowledge in the arts as a graduate of Fine Arts from UST.

That must be one of his foundations of his admirable trait of sharing his invaluable talents with his colleagues in the film industry.

Now that he is already an accomplished filmmaker and producer, he is even more generous to share his artistic talents which were validated by his Palme d’Or Best Director plum he won in the 2009 Cannes International Film Festival for the dark film “Kinatay (The Butchered),” a project which was very hard to translate onscreen.

One of arduous scenes shot was the claustrophobic space in a van as a setting of torture and violence against a gang mole whore (played by award-winning actress Maria Isabel Lopez) who fled off with the drug syndicate money.

Imagine kicking, hogtying, slapping, hitting hard etc. Maria Isabel all over her body by a number of actors like John Regala, Jhong Hilario, Julio Diaz, Coco Martin and Alan Paule who crowded the vehicle.

Now that he has been wearing his real name Brillante Mendoza on the marquee, Dante is more open to challenges and altruistic pursuits.

To wit, even if he is busy with his directing chores, he still manages to teach new things in directing to budding and deserving directors.

He serves not only as a mentor but as a purveyor of prospective projects to them. “Ano pa ba naman ang gagawin ko sa buhay kundi ang tulungan ang mga may pangarap na karapat-dapat (What else would I do in life except to help those deserving people to realize their dreams of becoming directors),” Dante shared.

Raymond Gutierrez (just a namesake of Richard Gutierrez’s twin) and Daniel Palacios are just two of the many new directors Dante has given breaks.

Dante’s generosity generates rejuvenation particularly in himself.

During the recent celebration of his birthday in his huge garden, entertainment journalist Art Tapalla threw a comment to him. “You’re glowing,” exclaimed Art that elicited cheers among reporters invited to the affair.

“Hindi ako gumagamit ng glutathione, ha (I don’t use gluta, huh),” Dante quickly and gamely interjected that drew laughter from the crowd.

At 65, honestly, he doesn’t look it.

Mendoza said he views life existentially.

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Meanwhile, two of the few show people Dante has influenced are Coco Martin and Ihman Esturco (now a cast member of “Batang Quiapo”) who have maintained friendliness and altruism not only to themselves but to other people as well.

You should have known that Coco and have been helping a lot of people in need, material things and comforting words.