SABADO
ALCAZAR FILMS presents
in association with CAVITE TOPNEWS/THE CENTRAL CHRONICLE/SIKAT NG ARAW/SOLAESIR
a BLACKBOX STUDIOS/LMNOP/SLEEP LESS NIGHTS production a CARLO ALVAREZ film “SABADO”
Starring: NICO LOCCO, VANESSA WRIGHT, RACHEL JACOB and JEX DE CASTRO
also starring: DEX CASTRO, JEOFF MONZON, MICAH MUSA, JAMES MARCO, BEBALYN TORIENTE, DREW LUIS, MATTHEW DOMINGO, TONZ ARE, DAVE TAN, KIERZ FERRER, EMIL SINAGPULO, DUDZ DETERA, CHESKA LAGELER, ARLENE RIVERA, JEANNE CASABUENA, KEVIN MIGUEL, VAS PALACAY and MARVIN GABAS
Special Make-up Effects by ARIEL BANEGA | Visual Effects by BLACKBOX STUDIOS
Production Designer LLOYD SALANATIN | Director of Photography CARLO ALVAREZ
Line-Producer SARAH LAGELER | Sound Designer SEAN TUESDAY | Story by CARLO ALVAREZ
Screenplay by CARLO ALVAREZ & ANTHONY JASON ABOG
Co-Produced by FE ALVAREZ & RAY ALVAREZ | Executive Producer CARLO ALVAREZ
Co-Executive Producer DAVE PALANOG & ALDRIN AGUSTINO
Produced by CARLO ALVAREZ & SARAH LAGELER
Directed by CARLO ALVAREZ
Official Selection at the GAWAD SINING FILM FESTIVAL 2019
3PM December 18, 2019 | UPFI Cine Adarna, UP Diliman
SYNOPSIS
JENSEN is a 34-year-old freelance cinematographer. He will not win an award for best husband but he strives to be the best father he can be. What started as, at least for him, a regular Saturday morning slowly unravels to be the most absurd, disassociated, and dangerous night of his life.
SABADO is a commentary on infidelity, human trafficking and murder as seen through the eyes of a Filipino millennial. It is curious how an innocuous occurrence like booking a car or finding a wallet can incite an obsession that leads to self-discovery and self-destruction.
Carlo Alvarez spins a heart-pounding modern thriller that pits one man against his most vicious and powerful adversary.
SABADO Q&A
(with the Director/Screenwirter/Cinematographer/Producer CARLO ALVAREZ)
Q: What is SABADO all about?
A: SABADO is film about JENSEN (played by NICO LOCCO / Culion, MMFF 2019 Finalist). Nasa point siya ng buhay niya na pare-parehas na lang ang nagyayari sa kanya. He’s bored kaya kahit ano na lang gagawin niya magkaroon lang ng kahit kaunting excitement yung buhay niya. It’s about a lot of things, actually. Relatable things, things that are happening now and mga issues na nakakaapekto sa buhay ng mga Pilipino, especially ng mga millennials. It’s about control, control sa buhay natin, na sa oras na naramdaman nating wala na tayong control sa mga mangyayari sa’tin, may namamatay sa pagkatao natin. What do we do to revive the parts of us na pakiramdam natin ay namatay na?
Q: How difficult was the production process of SABADO?
A: It wasn’t a walk in the park, I can tell you that. Pero dahil I am producing SABADO with my fiance and my parents, mas naging madali para sa’kin. SARAH LAGELER gave her best para maibigay sa’kin lahat ng kailangan ko para matapos ‘tong project na’to. She gave everything, sacrificed everything that she can para lang sa project na ‘to. And she deserve recognition sa nagawa niya para sa’kin and sa SABADO. I couldn’t ask for a better partner in art and in life. My parents, FE and RAY ALVAREZ have been supportive of me since my very first short film nung college ako. We had some ups and downs pero they never abandoned me. Sana lahat may parents na katulad ng Mom and Dad ko. I owe everything to them.
Q: What was your inspiration in writing the script?
A: Most of the things that you will see in SABADO were inspired by true events. Things that happened to me, my friends and some of the people that affected me. It’s about my fears and my fantasies, hindi lang naman ako. Pero yung pinaka-core ng kwento ng SABADO is about the things that I don’t want to happen to me. This is the first time that I have collaborated with my highschool classmate ANTHONY JASON ABOG. We both finished the screenplay based on the story that I made. Sobrang happy ako sa final draft namin kasi very collaborative ni JASON at patient pag dating sa’kin. Baliw na ako, nadagdagan pa ng isa pang baliw. Wala na! (Laughs)
Q: How was it working with NICO LOCCO?
A: NICO is a very passionate actor. He gives everything into his character. He deprives himself food (actually), during shoots kami yung kinakabahan kasi hindi siya kumakain. Gusto niyang makita namin physically yung hunger niya, gusto niyang mag-manifest yun sa kilos niya, sa mga tingin niya. And I believe na sobrang nakatulong yun sa kinalabasan ng film kasi makikita ng audiences yung pagka-hayok niya sa gusto niyang mapasakanya. He’s very professional. Lalo na sa mga bed scenes niya. There are nudities kasi sa SABADO, lots of it. Pero hindi natinag si NICO, hindi siya natakot and I believe na a huge part of that was because he trusted me. Yung tiwala na yung ang dahilan kung paano niya nagampanan yung role niya at naipakita’t naisabuhay si JENSEN. He gave his all. He’s one the most passionate actors I have ever worked with.
Q: How was it working with JEX DE CASTRO?
A: Matagal na naming gustong makapag-trabaho ni JEX DE CASTRO (Tawag Ng Tanghalan Allstar Resbak) sa isang film. Simula pa lang nung music video niya ng Isang Gabing Pag-ibig (Philpop 2018), naghahanap na kami ng opportunity para makapag-trabaho ulit. Then this story (Sabado) came. Sabi ko, wala akong ibang gustong mag-play ng character ni KEN maliban kay JEX. Gusto niya ng baliw at gritty na character to play, si KEN yun. Nag-iiba bigla yung pagkatao ni JEX when he plays KEN. You’ll see. Maraming magugulat kay JEX dito sa SABADO. He did the impossible, para sa’kin. He gave more than I asked for. And I am thankful for that. He proved na not only is he a great balladier, but he can be one of the greatest actors of our generation.
Q: How was it working with the other actors?
A: Very fortunate ako na nakatrabaho ko silang lahat. Especially sila VANESSA WRIGHT (Sanggano, Sanggago’t Sanggwapo), RACHEL JACOB, MICAH MUSA, JAMES MARCO, ROY REQUEJO (PBB), JEOFF MONZON, CHESKA LAGELER, DREW LUIS, KEVIN MIGUEL, DEX CASTRO, KIERZ FERRER, EMIL SINAGPULO, TONZ ARE (700 Club Philippines, S.O.C.O.), MATTHEW DOMINGO, DAVE TAN, DUDZ DETERA, JEANNE CASABUENA, ARLENE RIVERA, VAS PALACAY and BEBALYN TORIENTE. Nabigyan nila ng kulay yung journey ni JENSEN, I couldn’t ask for better supporting actors than these fine people. I would like to thank Direk MARVIN GABAS (Rendezvous, Hiro) for gracing us with his performance. First time ko siya maka-trabaho as an actor. Sobrang daming sacrifices ang ginawa ng mga actors na ito para lang matapos namin ang SABADO. I’m very thankful to have them as collaborators and friends.
Q: Apart from being the director, you are also the cinematographer of SABADO. Any insights on how you lit and shot the film?
A: One of our film’s major achievement, I believe is the cinematography. Para sakin, pag pinanood mo yung SABADO, hindi mo mararamdaman yung artificial lighting na kadalasan nakaka-distract sa mga manonood. I hate it when movies over-lits the sets and the actors. Nagiging parang sitcom or dark television drama, and it distracts me from absorbing the characters and the story. SABADO has this vibe, it feels like it was lit from within, if that makes any sense (laughs). Like editing---and I also did the editing on this film---for me artificial lighting is only effective when you don’t feel it’s pressence. Kapag naging part siya ng mundo ng characters seemlesly, that’s when you (the cinematographer) know that you’ve succeeded.
Q: Tell us about the music of SABADO.
A: I am very blessed to have worked with very good indie musical artists. KIERZ FERRER gave me his track “BANTA” na naging theme song ng SABADO. It plays a crucial role in the film, hindi lang basta siya nilapat dun. And not only that, he also acted in the film, along with RAFFY CONDEZA. Salamat ng marami sa KALOOKALS for that.
I also worked with PINO G. who (partially) scored the film. He also provided me with kick-ass tracks na may mga renowned artists like ZJAY, MIKE KOSA, JUST HUSH, KIAL, TONEY CHROME and siyempre PINO G. Matagal ko nang gustong maka-collaborate si PINO G. I personally think that he makes very filmic tracks na ginagamit niya for rap music. Sabi ko noon pa lang I want those kind of tracks sa susunod na film ko. Fortunately, SABADO came, yun na yung opportunity. Salamat sa DopeFlip and DRP Records sa tiwala.
Q: What can the viewers expect from SABADO?
A: I don’t know what they should expect. Pero all I can say is that, SABADO offers a different view on what millennials deal with today. If they follow JENSEN’s journey for that one whole day, they will see a part of themselves that they often times deny. They will see things in this film that will be very hard to unsee. Hindi kami nag-preno, hindi kami nag-pigil. We wanted to give the audiences an anti-hero na alam nila deep inside na nire-represent kung sino sila kapag mag-isa sila sa loob ng kwarto nila. SABADO is also a warning sa lahat ng mga kabataan ngayon. Na every decision in life, small or big, will affect your future. It will, kaya ingat palagi at gamitin ang utak sa pagdedesisyon hindi lang puro puso at… You know (chuckles). Kahit cliché man ito, pero totoo… nasa huli, wala sa umpisa, ang pagsisisi.
Please support our film SABADO. Watch it on December 18, 2019, 3PM at UPFI Cine Adarna, UP Diliman. You can buy tickets by contacting us thru our facebook page www.facebook.com/sabado.movie
Thank you very much and to God be the Glory!
