The two actors played the lead roles in the cultural documentary drama, Hulagway.
Hulagway, a project by the National Commission for the Culture and the Arts, is set to shed light on the dying languages of the Philippines.
The documentary film, which is helmed by award-winning Director Alvin Yapan (Ang Sayang ng Dalawang Kaliwang Paa, Oro), held a press conference on August 25. Yapan and the film’s lead actors Sue Prado and Kalil Almonte had the chance of sharing interesting details about the two-part film, and promote it to its target audience.
Sue Prado, who plays the lead female character in the film, walked the press through her personal experience from accepting the film to finally doing it.
Asked what her biggest takeaways from playing her character were, she said it was not just her character that thought her something, but the entire filmmaking as well.
“Not only for the character, but for the whole process. Kasi unique kung paano namin binuo ‘yung proyekto (how we pulled off the project is really unique,” she said.
“Umpisa pa lang, actually, December 2018, noong pinag-usapan namin…noong Vim (Alvin Yapan) introduced me the idea of this project, we were actually wanting to do 9 dying languages. However, you know, budget, dalawa lang ang kinaya. Tinanong ko kaagad kay Vim, paano ba ang treatment, at sino ba ang target audience ? Kasi araw ‘yung pinag-uusapan namin, nagiging klaro siya sa akin na ito ba ay textbook? Ano ba ang goal natin, ito ba ang for preservation? Pang-akademya ba?
“(When we began talking about the project, around 2018, when Vim introduced me to the idea of the project, we were trying to do 9 dying languages. But budget constraints did not allow us to do so. I asked Vim right away, what treatment we would be using, and who our target audience was. Because we were talking days here. It became clearer to me that could it be textbook. What is our goal here? Preservation? Is it for academic use?)” she shared, showing her excitement.”
Prado explained why they had to make it a two-part documentary because of the several challenges they faced.
“Hindi siya puwedeng gawing full docu, ‘yung pangangalap ng impormasyon, ‘yung datos na available, butas butas na siya kasi marami na ang hindi nakakapagsalita. So paano natin bubuuin ‘yun, na sa lengguwahe nila nitong mga IP na ‘to, so docu-drama ‘yes. So kung magdoocu-drama tayo, again, paano?
“(It can not be made into a full documentary. Information-gathering, the data available, were simply flawed because only a few people speak the language. How are we gonna do it, in these IP’s language, and into a docu-drama format—that was the question),” Prado noted.
She also recalled how the oculars in Northern Philippines that their advanced teams made, were practical but of no use because things changed when they finally reached the place. They had to improvise each time, create their scripts and act their dialogues almost simultaneously.
“We can not really afford to prepare, in the sense of having a script, kasi how can you make one?” Prado said. It is for these challenges, that Sue realized she had to be more than just a mere actor on the set.
“For me as actor naman, ang engaging ng experience because, hindi puwedeng aktor lang ako. Kailangan girl scout din ako. Dapat lagi kang on your toes, matalas isip mo, matalas pakiramdam mo, trouble shooter ka, problem solver ka.
“(I found the experience engaging because it required me to be more than just an actor. I needed to be a girl scout. I had to be always on my toes, I had to be sharp, and I needed to be a troubleshooter and a problem solver),” she recalled.
Kalil Amonte, the main male actor, meanwhile, learned the importance of understanding how to deal with indigenous peoples (IPs) properly and respectfully.
“Ako ‘yung una, natuwa ako doon sa matutunan ang approach kapag ang subject mo mga IPs. Meron talagang…mas istrikto ang NCIP,na may dialogue talaga.
“(First thing I learned is how to approach things when the subject we’re dealing with indigenous peoples. There are strict protocols here. You need to get down in a dialogue).”
Almonte expressed his awe in how the locals can keep their culture and language alive, employing oral tradition.
“Pangalawa, ‘di ba lagi nating pinag-aaralan na naririnig iyong oral tradition? Pero naaalala ko noong pinapanood ko, ang galing nila magkwento, kumbaga naging witness kami at na-experience namin mismo ‘iyong oral tradition, iyong mga salin-dila talaga…ang galing nilang
“(Secondly, we learned about the oral tradition at school, did we not? But I remember when I was watching them, I thought they were truly amazing. We became witnesses and we were able to experience how it is done, the transfer of culture through oral tradition),” he said, still in awe.
Sue Prado recalled the moment when she realized she still has a lot to learn and how insignificant she was in the grand scheme of things.
“Sino lang ba ako? Ano lang ba alam ko? I didn’t feel small, I feel significant. Kasi iyon ‘yung bagay na ‘oh mamamatay na kultura nila, ano bang magagwa ko doon?
“(Who am I, really? What do I know? I didn’t feel small; I just feel insignificant. That was the moment that made me realize, that their culture was already dying. How could I help?” she shared as she recalled the only two elderlies who are speaking the dying Palawan language.
The film’s producer, Dr. Michael Corazo said they have been working to make the docu-film more accessible to the public, to ensure that more people can understand how the Philippines’ dying languages are in desperate need to be resuscitated.
