Direk Gil’s new experiment

Spearheading GMA Network’s newest primetime series “La Vendetta” has its pros and cons. Direk Gil Tejada, famous for making “Bakekang (2006)” a hit, explains why. Text by Jillian Q. Gatcheco. Photos by Mitch S. Mauricio. It’s not a horror show! The first thing Direk Gil wanted to clarify at the beginning of iGMA’s interview was the show’s concept. “It’s not a horror show. Although hindi mo maiiwasan paminsan na may mga eksenang nakakatakot, that was not really an intention of the show. So our objective is parang magiisip 'yung tao; parang, ‘Kababalaghan ba ito, o totoong nangyari ito?’” La Vendetta will not be under the fantaserye genre; one may even describe it as a psychological thriller. “Kung sino ito, bakit ganito, ano 'yung mga nangyari. Sino ba ang pumatay sa kanya, sino ang suspect, bakit ginawa. Yun ang magiging takbo, and it’s drama,” direk Gil explains. He will be teaming up with Direk Lore Reyes (Sugo, 2005), a close colleague whom he will be collaborating with for the first time. He says, “I’ve known him naman way back, so we’re friends. Walang problema, issues, (at) ere or whatsoever. Kami, we go well.” He adds, “Dapat ang dating, seamless, hindi mo na alam kung sino ang gumawa na director. Kasi isa lang yung show.” The treatment “Based on our conversation with the management, we decided to go with ‘glossy,’ explains direk Gil. “Para sa ganoon, hindi nila ma-differentiate when and where 'yung isang suspense sequence mangyayari. Parang, we’re talking, then all of a sudden, ‘Boom! Ano yun?!’ Hindi mo ine-expect na ‘Ay, mayroon palang nangyari.’ So 'yung sequence ng events, to follow na. Pero depende sa eksena. But basically, the concept of the show should be glossy.” Does he think that the Pinoy audience is ready for this type of show? Actually, ganoon 'yung inhibition ko noong nakita ko 'yung treatment,” he fesses up. “Pero we were assured by the management na hindi talaga pa-dark 'yung magiging takbo ng kwento. At saka nandoon 'yung glossiness ng show na hindi mo ine-expect. Makikita mo, it’s a drama, magaganda 'yung setting, malalaki mga eksena, and then parang from nowhere, as I said, unexpected things happen, and the rest will follow. Yun nga lang, may mga apprehension lang because of the concept, but mature enough naman 'yung mga audiences ngayon. I think they’re prepared for this. It’s just that it’s a sort of experiment. Sana magustihan nila.” What makes La Vendetta different from GMA’s past teleseryes? “I think it’s the concept,” Direk Gil notes. “Sabi nga namin, this is a sort of experiment. It’s the first time that GMA will go on with this kind of genre. So basically, that’s something new to them, na ang expectations nila, hindi naman sa mataas, but dapat, they expect something out of this show, (and) ang hirap noon.” He continues, “Pag sinabing ‘Ito ang peg, ito gagawin niyo,’ dapat ganito lumabas, dapat magustuhan kaagad ng audience. Parang ang bigat sa part ng production to fulfill.” Is he in any way pressured to be in charge of such a production? “Yeah. Sobra,” he admits. “Sa akin naman, every time I do a TV series like this, talagang hindi maiiwasan na nandoon 'yung pressure, nandoon 'yung at the same time, to excel doon sa huling ginawa mo. Ganoon yun, e. You have to come up with (something better) than sa ginawa mo (before). Ako ganoon 'yung motto ko sa sarili ko.” Direk Gil shares that he’d rather not refer to past works as a basis for his projects, because he prefers original ideas that come up the moment he reads the script. “Sabi nga nila, ‘Manood ka ng ganyan,’ ako, ‘Ah, talaga?’ Siguro out of curiosity, (manonood ako). Pero pag sasabihin na panoorin ko para gagayahin ko o gagawin ko, (ayoko).” Working with the leading ladies Direk Gil has worked with Sunshine Dizon during her Anna Karen Nina (1996) days, more than a decade ago. “So there’s nothing more para hindi ko siya makilala,” he says of the star. “Second, si Jennylyn (Mercado), we started working with her in Encantadia (2005). Si Jean Garcia, I’ve worked with her noong ‘Spotlight’ days pa namin. So basically, siguro pinaka-latest (kong nakatrabaho) si Sunshine, since sa Bakekeang (2006), magkasama kami. But the two girls, medyo matagal na. Pero magagaling sila sobra.” It has to be worth it! What would direk Gil want the viewers to get from this teleserye? “Sa akin naman, I want them to be satisfied, and yung time nila spent in front of the television, for 30 minutes, sulit dapat yun. So for every sequence na gagawin namin, ang dating is walang patapon. Dapat panoorin ng tao at ma-appreciate nila 'yung kabuuan ng programa, dahil for five times a week, aabangan nila 'yung programa -- dapat maging it’s worth it. And so they will look forward to the forthcoming week (din). Di ba?” “Direk Gil also hopes to instill Filipino values in the series. “Isa pa rin yan sa aking advocacy na first and foremost, we want to implant Filipino values here. We’re not preaching, it’s just that minsan yun ang nawawala sa mga programa natin. Minsan nakakalimutan din. Filipino tayo, (kaya dapat) kahit papaano, may mai-inject tayo (na values).” He invites everyone to watch La Vendetta starting October 29: “To all the televiewers and avid fans of GMA Network, I would like to invite, in behalf of my co-director Lore Reyes, to watch La Vendetta. Sana magustihan niyo po itong inihahain naming bagong putahe para sa inyo, dahil ang sa amin ay we want to give you the best. Thank you!” Share your views about this television milestone. Talk about La Vendetta on the iGMA Forum!