Aicelle Santos, director Pepe Diokno on doing ‘Isang Himala’

Aicelle Santos as Elsa in MMFF 2024 entry “Isang Himala.” Picture: Courtesy of CreaZion Studios

Aicelle Santos and filmmaker Pepe Diokno imagine that one of many core themes of the Metro Manila Movie Pageant (MMFF) 2024 entry “Isang Himala” is the portrayal of religion and blind worship, which will be seen within the case of Elsa and the townsfolk of Cupang.

“It’s nonetheless related. ‘Isang Himala’ is about religion and blind religion,” the movie’s director INQUIRER.web in a one-on-one interview. “In the present day—if we had been to depend the time because the launch of the 1982 film—lagi tayo naghahanap ng sasalba sa atin. Lagi natin ine-externalize ang ating pag-asa at kinabukasan (we at all times search for somebody who can save us. We at all times depend on exterior strategies in searching for hope for our future).”

“Isang Himala” is a wedding of the 1982 movie “Himala” starring Nora Aunor and “Himala: Isang Musikal” which was written by Ricky Lee and composer Vincent de Jesus, which was first staged on the Cultural Middle of the Philippines (CCP) in 2003. It was restaged by a number of theater productions years later, with Santos taking over the function of the titular Elsa in 2018 and 2019.

Its premise stays the identical. After claiming that she noticed an apparition of the Virgin Mary, Elsa takes cost as a religion healer of Cupang, the place she was touted because the “miracle (or himala)” of the drought-stricken Cupang.

“I don’t know why we haven’t modified. Or possibly now we have modified, however just a bit bit. However I believe that’s the explanation why tales like this should be advised and retold in several methods and artwork varieties,” Diokno mentioned. “That’s the explanation why movies are so highly effective as a result of it provides us new views.”

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Aicelle Santos in a scene from MMFF 2024 entry “Isang Himala.” Picture: Courtesy of CreaZion Studios

Agreeing with the author’s query, Santos mentioned doing the movie reminded her of how the general public depends on a sole being as a supply of hope and misfortune. “Naghahanap pa rin tayo ng hero. Naghahanap pa rin tayo ng sisisihin. Naghahanap pa rin tayo ng sasalba sa atin.”

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“However because the story has many individuals, makaka-identify ka kung sino ka,” she continued, hinting at how blind religion can be portrayed by means of its key characters. “Ikaw ba si Elsa? Ikaw ba si Chayong? Ikaw ba si Nimia? O si Igme? Ang dami. And with this model, I believe mas nakilala ang bawat karakter, hindi lamang si Elsa.”

(All of us search for heroes. All of us search for somebody responsible. We’re nonetheless looking for somebody who can save us. However because the story has many individuals, you possibly can determine what sort of particular person you might be. Are you Elsa? Are you Chayong? Are you Nimia? Are you Igme? There are such a lot of of them. And with this model, I believe you’ll have an opportunity to know every character other than Elsa.)

Being a mom additionally performed an important function in permitting Santos to grasp what the movie stood for. The movie portrays Cupang as a city of residents determined for change, ensuing of their blind worship towards Elsa, which in flip, took time for the actress-singer to grasp that change begins inside themselves.

“How is change gonna occur? Who will do it? It’s me. I’ll put together my future—and others too. However how? Tulong-tulong. Hindi naman pwedeng nasa isang tao lang (Let’s assist one another. We are able to’t simply depend on one particular person alone),” she mentioned.

“However yeah, it’s going to take a technology or extra to have these huge modifications. However I hope we get to see it, or a minimum of our youngsters get to see it,” she continued.

Staying trustworthy and untrue

In line with Diokno, one in every of his memorable encounters with the Nora Aunor-starrer was seeing it for the primary time in movie college. “It left such a mark on me,” he mentioned whereas recalling that he additionally watched “Himala: Isang Musikal” someday in 2018 and 2019.

“While you watch the unique movie, there are numerous silences. It’s not a really dialogue-driven movie,” he mentioned. “So [Ricky Lee and Vincent de Jesus] had been pondering, what if we add songs in these silences? What if we carry out Elsa’s true emotions and ideas, in addition to the opposite characters, by means of music? For me, that modified utterly how the story is introduced.”

With this in thoughts, Diokno hoped that the “goosebumps” he had whereas watching the movie and musical can be felt by the viewers within the MMFF 2024 entry. “I used to be left with so many ideas and feelings that I wanted to course of with the individuals I used to be with. That’s the identical expertise that we like to provide to audiences.”

Santos, then again, mentioned she made an effort to “keep trustworthy” to the script regardless of her expertise with the character. “I nonetheless printed the script. I nonetheless put notes. Kasi importante kilalanin kung sino talaga si Elsa (As a result of it’s vital to know who Elsa really is),” she mentioned.

Permitting herself to totally immerse into researching her character allowed Santos to seek out the stability between herself and Elsa.

“On researching the character, I attempted to marry the experiences I had as Aicelle. I imagine that Aicelle and Elsa have numerous issues in widespread. So placing these issues collectively, I used to be in a position to revive Elsa in ‘Isang Himala,’” she shared.

Aicelle Santos in a scene from MMFF 2024 entry “Isang Himala.” Picture: Courtesy of CreaZion Studios

When requested how Diokno was in a position to marry movie and theater in creating the MMFF 2024 entry, he shared that Nationwide Artist Ricky Lee (who served because the screenwriter of the 1982 movie and musical) gave him a “free area to reimagine the ending.”

“I’m very, very grateful kay Sir Ricky that he allowed us the area to reimagine that ending. We’re each trustworthy and untrue to it. And after we confirmed the primary lower to Sir Ricky, I used to be very nervous exhibiting him the ending. Particularly that it opens conversations on a number of points. This isn’t nearly searching for a hero,” he defined.

Like an excited fangirl, Santos gleefully hinted: “It’s essentially the most stunning ending.”

Other than Santos, the solid contains Bituin Escalante, Floyd Tena, David Ezra, Neomi Gonzales, Kakki Teodoro, Vic Robinson, and Joann Co.