Isang gabi iyon sa Max's Restaurant sa may Roces Avenue. Isang maayos at maaliwalas na press conference ang ginanap para sa pelikulang Marineros, isang indie and advocacy film na idinerehe ni Anthony Hernandez na joint venture ng Golden Tiger Films at Premiere Dreams Productions. Ang pelikulang nakatakdang ipalabas na sa September 20 sa mga sinehan all-over Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
Pagpasok na pagpasok namin sa venue at narinig namin ang theme song ng pelikula na napakagaling na inawit ni Christian Biando, alam namin, very worthwhile na agad ang pagdating namin sa presscon na iyon. Kasi, sa theme song pa lang na narinig namin sa loob ng venue habang pinapakita rin ang trailer ng pelikula, tunay na "na-touched" na kami sa pelikulang ito.
Naalala namin ang aming mga minamahal na mga kaibigan bigla na nagtatrabaho sa ibang bansa. Yung damdamin na malayo sila, nagsasakripisyo para sa mga minamahal nila, ang mga naging maling pagtingin sa kanila ng kanilang mga anak dahil mas pinili nilang magtrabaho sa ibang bansa keysa ang makapiling ang mga mahal nila sa buhay, ang mga sakit, paghihirap, at kalungkutan.
Pero sa bandang huli, mananaig pa rin ang puso at ang "triumph of the human spirit".
Sabi nga ng editor ng isang tabloid na si Eugene E. Asis: "Naiyak agad ako sa theme song pa lang ng pelikula, ha."
Korek ka, Kuya Eugene. Dahil tiyak niyan, sa oras na mapanood din namin ang kabuuan ng pelikula, tiyak na iiyak rin kami.
PANOORIN ANG PELIKULANG "MARINEROS", NA MAY RED CARPET PREMIERE NIGHT SA SEPTEMBER 20! TARA NA.
(Nasa ibaba po ang Cast of Characters ng pelikulang "Marineros", base sa Press Release na ipinamigay nila sa media people nu'ng nagdaan nilang Press Conference):
MEET the cast and character of the "Marineros: Men in the Middle of the Sea".
Ano ang kaya mong isakripisyo para sa kinabukasan ng pamilya mo?
Abangan ang paglalayag ng Pamilya Marisol.
This coming September 20 in Cinemas Nationwide.
Ano ang kaya mong isakripisyo para sa kinabukasan ng pamilya mo?
Abangan ang paglalayag ng Pamilya Marisol.
This coming September 20 in Cinemas Nationwide.
(Mar y Sol, meaning ‘sea and sun’ in Spanish)
(Deniz means ‘sea’ in Turkish)
DENNIS MARISOL (Michael De Mesa) is a Manila boy who settled in the province of Bohol where his wife Maria lives. He is a principled loving father and a provider. He loves his profession for it enables him to give a more convenient life for his wife and three children even if it means he misses most of special family occasions. Lightning does strike twice, sometimes. His wife Maria died while he is working away in a tanker ship and several years after, he faced a tragic accident in his workplace that caused his eyes to be both blind. It crushed his spirit as it disables him to continue as a sole provider for his family.
What good is a father if he cannot earn for his family, he thinks. The shipping company where he worked is prepared to give him a settlement, but the amount is too small for him because he thinks he deserves more. Dennis hires a lawyer to fight for his claims against the company. A fight not only for money but also for his dignity as he thinks this is the only way he can redeem himself and still provide for his family amidst his disability. But how far can he go for this battle against a giant shipping company
MARIGOLD (Anthony Hernandez) is a seasoned trans entertainer. She lives by the title "Marigold, the one and the only". A title that she earned throughout the years of glitz and glamour performances. She is easily loved by thousands of audience that has stepped on board the luxury cruise where he works for as an entertainer.
She and happy-go-lucky Kelvin has been working in that same
luxury cruise for years now, but it takes one awkward situation that will bring
about a friendship between them. Surprisingly, they get along very quick and
develop a maternal relationship. Kelvin is a mother-orphaned man who sees a
mother image in her and Marigold in return sees an image of a son that she
never had in Kelvin.
They formed a relationship together that could last a
lifetime - but lifetime seems to be questionable for Marigold because she is
unaware of a sickness that lurks inside her brain. She is like a ticking time
bomb that nobody knows - including herself, knows when she will blow off.
KENT MARISOL, 28
(from Kenton, an English place meaning ‘town on the River Kenn’)
KENT MARISOL (Ahron Villena) assumed the responsibility of being a family provider when his father was disabled by his blindness. Following his father’s path whom he looks up to and respects deeply, he works in a tanker ship. He lives a simple and sent-all-the-money lifestyle so he can all provide for his father, younger sister Karen, his wife Nerissa and his son Erwin. He even has established his own house and a little copra business.
Kent is as principled as his father Dennis. Wisdom and lessons that he learned from his father are his defenses against his daily struggles in his life at work. He even put it in use for Harley, his co-worker who attempts committing suicide when he discovered his wife left him for another man and take with her his two children. This situation made Kent realized how lucky he is for his wife Nerissa. Or at least, that’s what he thinks.
KELVIN MARISOL, 25
(Kelvin, a Scottish river meaning ‘narrow water’)
KELVIN MARISOL (Paul Hernandez) is a complete opposite of his brother Kent. He is a careless individual who only thinks of himself and lives a very luxurious life like the luxurious Cruise ship where he works as a food server. This personality is brought by the fact that at a young age of sixteen, he stows away from home and he was out for himself ever since. He never looked back and never returned home. He has a strong angst against his father Dennis because he blames him for the early demise of her mother Maria. He is not a broken man, only a broken core and he has never let anybody in. Even Maya who first started as a flirty girl but later falls in love with him. Kelvin thinks that love is just a movie thing, and women are just as sweet as vice like alcohols and cigarettes.
An incident led Kelvin to make friends with Marigold, a seasoned transgender star showgirl of the Cruise ship they are both working on. It has become a deep unexpected friendship but enough to make Kelvin crack and open up a bit. Kelvin learned so much from Marigold about life and the importance of family – an irony really, since Marigold is from an orphanage who has never known his real family. Kelvin’s friendship with Marigold is deep but short-lived. Kelvin is left devastated with the unforeseen death of Marigold after his stage performance. But this death led Kelvin to appreciate life more. But is it enough to make this prodigal son finally return home?
(Kelvin, a Scottish river meaning ‘narrow water’)
KELVIN MARISOL (Paul Hernandez) is a complete opposite of his brother Kent. He is a careless individual who only thinks of himself and lives a very luxurious life like the luxurious Cruise ship where he works as a food server. This personality is brought by the fact that at a young age of sixteen, he stows away from home and he was out for himself ever since. He never looked back and never returned home. He has a strong angst against his father Dennis because he blames him for the early demise of her mother Maria. He is not a broken man, only a broken core and he has never let anybody in. Even Maya who first started as a flirty girl but later falls in love with him. Kelvin thinks that love is just a movie thing, and women are just as sweet as vice like alcohols and cigarettes.
An incident led Kelvin to make friends with Marigold, a seasoned transgender star showgirl of the Cruise ship they are both working on. It has become a deep unexpected friendship but enough to make Kelvin crack and open up a bit. Kelvin learned so much from Marigold about life and the importance of family – an irony really, since Marigold is from an orphanage who has never known his real family. Kelvin’s friendship with Marigold is deep but short-lived. Kelvin is left devastated with the unforeseen death of Marigold after his stage performance. But this death led Kelvin to appreciate life more. But is it enough to make this prodigal son finally return home?
NERISSA, 28
(Nerissa, Greek meaning ‘nymph, sea sprite’)
NERISSA (Valerie Concepcion) is a loving wife and mother. She is a picture of a typical wife who puts family above everything else. But naivety was her weakness. She has become an easy target of Doris, her college friend, a Networker who is out to milk as much money that she can from Nerissa. Doris blinds Nerissa with all the promises of large fortune in networking business. Nerissa thinks that
if she can help Kent earn more money than what he actually makes working in a tanker ship, then his husband need not to be away from her and their son Erwin anymore. Little did she know that Doris is a hoax, it was too late when she found out her true nature. Nerissa exhausted all their money from the bank and also loaned a huge amount of money using their house and lot title as a collateral without Kent’s knowledge due to Doris’ persuasion of Nerissa. Kent learned all of this by self-discovery, during the time they needed money for an immediate operation of their son Erwin who is caught in a hit-and-run accident. Kent’s world falls apart when he realized that the fruits of all years of his hard work was all but gone. With his son’s life even on the line, are his wisdoms enough to find it in his heart to forgive his wife Nerissa?
(Nerissa, Greek meaning ‘nymph, sea sprite’)
NERISSA (Valerie Concepcion) is a loving wife and mother. She is a picture of a typical wife who puts family above everything else. But naivety was her weakness. She has become an easy target of Doris, her college friend, a Networker who is out to milk as much money that she can from Nerissa. Doris blinds Nerissa with all the promises of large fortune in networking business. Nerissa thinks that
if she can help Kent earn more money than what he actually makes working in a tanker ship, then his husband need not to be away from her and their son Erwin anymore. Little did she know that Doris is a hoax, it was too late when she found out her true nature. Nerissa exhausted all their money from the bank and also loaned a huge amount of money using their house and lot title as a collateral without Kent’s knowledge due to Doris’ persuasion of Nerissa. Kent learned all of this by self-discovery, during the time they needed money for an immediate operation of their son Erwin who is caught in a hit-and-run accident. Kent’s world falls apart when he realized that the fruits of all years of his hard work was all but gone. With his son’s life even on the line, are his wisdoms enough to find it in his heart to forgive his wife Nerissa?
MAYA, 20
(Maya, Hebrew meaning ‘water’)
MAYA (Jef Gaitan) is a sassy and stunning girl who knows what she wants and how to get it. She lives by a motto that goes "what Maya wants, Maya gets". How can she not? Everything can be blinded by beauty, right? Money and luxury is everything she lived for. But along the way, love has a way to trick her and expose her weaknesses. She meets Kelvin, a guy who sees beauty but nothing beyond that.
It was just fair for Maya because she's beautiful. She can play him at the palm of her hands. But what happens now that she unexpectedly fell in love and it plays her back? A love game that Kelvin is obviously never into. Will he be able see her beyond her beauty?
(Maya, Hebrew meaning ‘water’)
MAYA (Jef Gaitan) is a sassy and stunning girl who knows what she wants and how to get it. She lives by a motto that goes "what Maya wants, Maya gets". How can she not? Everything can be blinded by beauty, right? Money and luxury is everything she lived for. But along the way, love has a way to trick her and expose her weaknesses. She meets Kelvin, a guy who sees beauty but nothing beyond that.
It was just fair for Maya because she's beautiful. She can play him at the palm of her hands. But what happens now that she unexpectedly fell in love and it plays her back? A love game that Kelvin is obviously never into. Will he be able see her beyond her beauty?
VALE, 20
(Vale, English word meaning ‘wide river valley’)
VALE MEDINA (Jon Lucas) is a charming stud that won the heart of Karen. They have been long sweethearts and their relationship is approved by Karen’s father, Dennis. He is a fresh marine graduate with full of dreams for himself, his family, and the love of his life Karen. He is a son of a poor farmer family who struggled to send him off tocollege. Now that he has finished his studies and finally was accepted on a job to work on a ship, everything seems to be working well for him until the day he learned that a night of passionate carelessness with Karen result to her early pregnancy.
He is now facing an early responsibility that almost proved that he is not yet ready. When his parents and his dreams are the ones that are at stake for him, will he be man enough to face this responsibility or will he bail out on Karen?
(Vale, English word meaning ‘wide river valley’)
VALE MEDINA (Jon Lucas) is a charming stud that won the heart of Karen. They have been long sweethearts and their relationship is approved by Karen’s father, Dennis. He is a fresh marine graduate with full of dreams for himself, his family, and the love of his life Karen. He is a son of a poor farmer family who struggled to send him off tocollege. Now that he has finished his studies and finally was accepted on a job to work on a ship, everything seems to be working well for him until the day he learned that a night of passionate carelessness with Karen result to her early pregnancy.
He is now facing an early responsibility that almost proved that he is not yet ready. When his parents and his dreams are the ones that are at stake for him, will he be man enough to face this responsibility or will he bail out on Karen?
AT SI CHRISTIAN BIANDO (LARAWAN NASA ITAAS), ANG UMAWIT NG THEME SONG NG PELIKULANG "MARINEROS" (NAPAKAGANDA NG PAGKAKA-AWIT NIYA SA KANTA. SA TOTOO LANG!---RMS.**)
