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Director Dolly Dulu on rejections: 'Take your loss with grace'

Often, closed doors lead to greater opportunities, and what we perceive as rejection may recur until the right time finally comes.

This is true for director Dolly Dulu, whose outstanding works, The Boy Foretold by the Stars and Love Beneath the Stars, among others, garnered acclaim in the past.

For Direk Dolly, the script that would become Si Sol at Si Luna collected more passes than promises until the story's potential as a digital series was finally seen.

Originally submitted to the CinePanalo Film Festival, Si Sol at si Luna earned a place in the list of the top 16 entries, but failed to make it to the final cut.

Direk Dolly initially felt dejected. “Siyempre nalungkot ako sa rejection ng CinePanalo. Naniniwala ako na maganda ang script namin kaya masakit na hindi siya natanggap. Sabi ko noon, mukhang last hurrah na ng film dahil ang dami na niyang pinagdaanang mga festivals, mga sinalihan na muntik nang magawa, pero hindi pa rin magawa-gawa. Kaya sabi ko, siguro ipa-park ko na lang muna ang script na ito.”

Zaijian Jaranilla and Polo Ravales as father and son.

In time, however, Direk Dolly restored her faith in the story of Si Sol at si Luna. “May bitter moments din, but given enough processing . . . bumalik ang paniwala ko na things happen for a reason; whatever is meant to be, will be. Take your loss with grace. Inisip ko rin na hindi ito ang end game ng Si Sol at si Luna.”

True enough, the well-crafted narrative of heartache, grief, healing, and love's many incarnations stood out so strongly that the festival organizers decided to move forward with the project, but in a different form. Si Sol at si Luna was greenlit as a weekly digital series, allowing the story to expand and unfold over time, and making beautiful cinematography accessible to a larger audience.

When asked what changed in her creative approach, Direk Dolly disclosed that the movie version was a slow-burn story. Changes were made to make the narrative more apt for a series, which requires a hook in each episode to keep viewers wanting more.

“In a way, ganoon pa rin ang series maski marami kaming binago. For example, dapat there is more conflict dahil requirement 'yon ng series. Kailangan, mayroon kang binabalik-balikan, pero may overarching conflict pa rin ang kuwento na dapat i-resolve.”

According to Direk Dolly, it helped that Si Sol at si Luna had many side characters, and turning it into a series meant enhancing and exploring the stories and conflicts of these characters. “Na-excite ako, pero naging malaki ang change.”

When asked how she handled rejection from the film festival, Direk Dolly gave very helpful advice. “You have to give yourself time to grieve. Kinailangan kong tanggapin na hindi ako natanggap, at sa pagtanggap nito, makaka-let go ka at makaka-move forward. Kung hindi, you will become bitter. Masaya rin ako kasi marami akong kaibigang nakapasok sa CinePanalo.”

Jane Oineza as Luna brings mystery and grief into the heart of Si Sol at si Luna.

Rejection, Direk Dolly asserts, deepens character. “Kailangan natin ng rejection at redirection bilang filmmaker. It takes a lot of tenacity, willpower, and processing to convert what you're feeling into something more positive. Pero sa totoong buhay, ang pagtanggap natin sa rejection deepens our character, makes us more driven, and makes us more hungry for our story to be told. Kung naniniwala ka sa sarili mo, sa story mo, hindi mo siya dapat sukuan.”

And because Direk Dolly did not give up on Si Sol at si Luna, the story is now making waves in the entertainment landscape for its enchanting cinematography and rich narrative.

Now streaming on YouTube, the show stars Zaijan Jaranilla as Sol, a film student determined to make a documentary about love, despite never having experienced it himself.

This journey changes drastically when Sol notices Luna, portrayed by Jane Oineza, quietly crying on a bus--an encounter that leaves a lasting impression on Jaranilla's character.

On a final note, Direk Dolly relates how the episodic format allowed the story more room to breathe: “It became more intimate and more real.”

Catch Si Sol at si Luna on the Puregold Channel on YouTube.