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In "Sundo," Direk Topel Lee found himself with yet another dream cast, this time led by no other than Robin Padilla himself.
After doing “Ouija” last year under GMA Films, Topel Lee worked with the film outfit once again for another horror-suspense flick--“Sundo.” Direk Topel found himself with yet another dream cast, this time, led by no other than Robin Padilla himself. Text by Jillian Q. Gatcheco. Photos by Jason John S. Lim. Working with Binoe Joining Binoe in Sundo are three talented ladies, none of whom the actor has worked with before on the big screen. They are Katrina Halili, Rhian Ramos, and Sunshine Dizon. But unlike typical horror flicks where the ladies are the ones who get more terrorized than the guys, direk Topel says that it’s Robin who is the focal character of this film. “Si Robin talaga nagdala ng movie, ‘cause I’ve never seen a horror movie na lalaki yung main character,” he explains. “Kasi parang hindi nakakatakot, 'di ba? Pero here, napakita niya yung fear coming from a male character.” Although this is direk Topel and Robin’s first time to work together, they’ve actually met already way back, when the young director was still doing short films at Mowelfund Film Institute. “Nagkakila kami ni Robin nasa Mowelfund pa ako, doing short films, and he saw one of my action short films. Tapos nag-pitch kami sa kanya ng movie, but then he wasn’t available that time. Maraming beses na gusto naming mag-collaborate, pero hindi natutuloy,” direk Topel shares. Now that he has experienced working with the action star, how was it like? Direk Topel admits that he got a bit starstruck with Robin at first! “Si Robin, very intense siya, and very professional--he’s on time lagi, tapos kami pa nahihiya kasi nale-late kami!” Probably the only problem he encountered was deviating from Robin’s macho image, which has become part of the actor's showbiz reputation ever since he started. “Siguro mahirap kasi hindi siya nakakapag-action! Sometimes, gusto niya ng action, pero I try to tell him na Rob, hindi ito action. Parang I can’t remove it—hindi rin niya maalis, e. Sometimes I [remind him about it]. I tell him at once na Robin, baka masyado kang matapang dito sa scene. Sasabihin ko, 'Dapat natatakot ka.' Sasabihin niya, 'Bakit ako natatakot [diyan]?' [Tapos sasabihin ko,] 'Hindi, kasi di ba may nakita ka?' Tapos mare-realize niya. “[I tell him na] talagang kailangan makita sa kanya yung fear, otherwise hindi matatakot yung viewers. I always tell him [na] 'pag horror, kailangan yung lead character, talagang matakot.” Direk Topel also discovered that Robin isn’t just an action star--there’s more to the veteran actor than his daring stunts and movie star looks. “Definitely, hindi lang siya pang action. He can also project fear, [affection]--kasi sister niya dito si Rhian, makikita mo na inaalagaan niya. In many ways, may soft side siya dito.” How about working with Sunshine? How was that like? “Si Shine kasi, matagal ko nang gustong makatrabaho--once ko lang siya nakatrabaho sa Kamandag. Very intense din siya.” Was direk Topel also mesmerized by Katrina’s allure, like Robin? “Si Robin kasi, nabibighani sa lahat, e! Hahaha!” he jokes. Making the flick Sundo actually has a plot similar to the Hollywood film Final Destination (2000), where Death chases its helpless victims one by one, regardless of it being diverted from its original path. “Well, that’s what they say--partly may parang ganoong treatment, pero may mga ghosts ito, e,” direk Topel explains, differentiating Sundo from the said movie. “May kaunting tinge of si ‘Death,’ pero eventually, ghosts na rin nananakot.” Sundo also incorporates traditional Filipino superstitions into its storyline. “Ito yung sinasabi na 'yung mga taong malapit nang mamatay, usually may nakikita silang tao o relative bago mamatay. 'Yun 'yung kasabihan ng mga matatanda.” During Sundo’s press conference at Dulcinea’s Tomas Morato branch last September 18, it was revealed that direk Topel was very tedious with details, and he even had his storyboards which he followed conscientiously. Is this really his directing style? “Sa Ouija rin, ganoon. Na-train yata ako sa advertising agency, e!” he says. “Sa JWT. We do a lot of storyboards there before we shoot [anything]. Ngayon, ganoon din--[the advantages are] mas napapadali yung set up, [at] hindi yung pabalik-balik [ng take], tapos mas matipid din for the producers.” Could he pinpoint a “wow” scene in the movie that everyone could look forward to? “I think na-stun ako sa car accident scene namin, kasi muntik na mamatay 'yung stunt man namin, nag-cave in yung ceiling ng kotse kasi hindi nalagyan ng steel bar!” How would he evaluate his growth as a director after doing Sundo? “Actually, hindi ko na alam, kasi [when I started], I can see pa 'yung movement, [yung] direction, [pero] dito parang mass production,” he imparts. But what do he peers and mentors say about his work? “They’re happy naman!” direk Topel shares with a smile. Don’t miss the nationwide release of Sundo on September 22, 2008!