Former Sen. Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan II —PHOTOS BY MARINEL
Former Sen. and Philippine Military officer Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan II had just one request to screenwriter Eric Ramos, who’s making the script to his biopic directed by Lester Dimaranan, “Gringo”: Don’t flip me right into a superhero.
“I bear in mind what he instructed me, ‘I bleed. I bought injured. I additionally misplaced a finger. I’m human, so painting me as a human being.’” Ramos instructed Inquirer Leisure in a current interview. He added that he sat down with the controversial retired soldier six or seven occasions to debate the script.
“For me, the talks I’ve had with him had been by no means sufficient. We might all the time meet with an enormous group, so there have been different considerations from the manufacturing crew that he additionally attended to. What’s good was that, for the primary three drafts, I sat down with him and had a read-through. He gave his feedback and if there have been factual errors, he tried to recall what occurred particularly incidents. He’s very hands-on, however as the author, I nonetheless wished he had extra time for me,” mentioned Ramos, who’s a two-time recipient of the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Award for Literature.
“I’m glad as it’s. That’s greater than what I anticipated from a topic. It’s simply that it’s actually laborious to put in writing a biopic. It’s OK when you’re writing one thing historic and the topic is lifeless. The distinction right here is that I must confirm each single element that I bought from analysis. It’s robust, however fulfilling on the identical time,” he mentioned.
Ramos added that he was very acquainted with the interval, which Borracho Movies producer Ferdinand Topacio mentioned, “Begins out through the Edsa Revolution (in 1986) till Honasan’s dramatic escape from detention after the second coup d’ etat try…after he was captured.”
Ramos has simply completed the biography of the late politician and marine corps Gen. Rodolfo Biazon, titled “Rodolfo Biazon: Soldier. Solon. Statesman,” which received him the Nationwide Guide award.
‘Closure’
“There have been many elements of the guide that had been about Gringo. He was being hunted, whereas Biazon was the hunter. That’s why when this was provided to me, the very first thing I requested was if Sen. Honasan knew that I wrote the Biazon guide. He simply laughed and mentioned he has no downside with it,” Ramos recalled.
“What’s fascinating is that, lately, every week earlier than Biazon died, Honasan paid the latter a go to. They talked as buddies, as PMAers, as fellow navy males. Mrs. Biazon mentioned this made her husband very glad,” mentioned Ramos, including that the Biazon household appreciated Honasan’s gesture a lot that they requested him to ship a eulogy through the first evening of the wake. “That served as closure for the 2 of them. I feel that’s a lovely story. Whereas doing this challenge, Sen. Honasan provided me to put in writing his biography guide. I simply mentioned, ‘Let’s take care of it after this film.’”
Lawyer and Borracho Movie Productions govt Ferdinand Topacio–MARINEL CRUZ
In the meantime, Jake Cuenca is anticipated to play the titular position. “He desires to see the script first,” mentioned Topacio. “I’ve little doubt that he’ll say ‘sure’ after studying Eric’s wonderful work. He possesses the requisite depth. Speaking to Sen. Honasan whereas creating the story, he has all the time had this inside turmoil since his cadet days. Whereas he’s a soldier, he has all the time been a little bit of a insurgent, too. This battle has all the time been simply seething beneath the floor. I’m assured that Jake will be capable of seize that,” Topacio added.
Different works
Ramos additionally wrote the romantic drama, titled “Spring in Prague,” starring Paolo Gumabao and Czech actress Sara Sandeva. He mentioned there have been delays as a result of the Borracho manufacturing crew needed to anticipate six months to shoot the winter scenes in Prague. The challenge is at the moment in postproduction work, he added.
“It’s an allusion to Prague Spring, [a period of political liberalization and mass protest] within the Nineteen Sixties. Afterward within the Eighties, there was additionally the so-called Velvet Revolution [or the collapse of the communist regime in Czechoslovakia],” Topacio mentioned.
Sara’s character, Maruska, is the daughter of a once-powerful communist social gathering official who would have been president of Czechoslovakia through the Velvet Revolution, defined Topacio. “His mindset was caught through the glory days of communism. He took it upon himself to guard his daughter from the decadence of Western democracy, so she rebelled and went with out permission to the Philippines, as really useful to her by a Spanish-Filipino buddy,” Topacio added.
Eric Ramos –ERIC RAMOS/ FACEBOOK
“She goes to Puerto Galera the place she meets Paolo’s character Alfonso, proprietor of a resort named Laissez Faire. She falls in love with Alfonso, however her father desires her again, so she is fetched by a chopper commissioned by the Czech embassy. She is whisked off with hardly time to say goodbye.”
Ramos can also be the author of the 2023 Metro Manila Movie Pageant entry “Mamasapano: Now It Can Be Advised,” which follows the counterterrorism mission that killed 44 officers of the Philippine Nationwide Police.
In the meantime, “One Dinner a Week,” starring Edu Manzano and written by Simple Ferrer, can also be in manufacturing. Topacio revealed that it’s a Could-December love affair with a tragic ending. One other materials is “Ache (Lure),” written by Roy Espiritu, Topacio reported.
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“I’ve all the time been a movie buff. I’ve watched and picked up a whole bunch of movies, from the very first film ever made by the French studio Lumiere. I nonetheless have a DVD participant at residence. I made myself a promise that, earlier than I die, I wish to make one film. That was imagined to be ‘Mamasapano,’ however I spotted that I’m truly having fun with the method,” mentioned Topacio, who additionally lately launched the artists of the newly fashioned Borracho Artists and Abilities Administration. INQ