Alfred Vargas: 'Marami masasaktan at makaka-relate sa Tagpuan'
There are many things that Alfred Vargas would never forget about Tagpuan, the 2020 Metro Manila Film Festival that he produced and stars in together with Iza Calzado and Shaina Magdayao.
Working with acclaimed writer Ricky Lee and director Mac Alejandre is one.
It had always been on Alfred's bucket list to be exchanging ideas with the likes of Ricky and Direk Mac. That's why when the opportunity to produce Tagpuan presented itself, Alfred saw to it that the film would see the light of the day--come hell or high water.
“He's one of the best, if not the best writer in the history of Philippine cinema,” he said of Ricky Lee in an exclusive interview with GMANetwork.com. “Na-starstruck nga ako at one point when I met him. Tapos ang saya ko when he agreed to do the screenplay. I feel very, very lucky.”
Mac Alejandre, who Alfred got to work in Kaputol, the 2019 drama movie which interestingly Ricky Lee also wrote, has inspired Alfred to level up his game as an actor and a producer.
“Working with Direk Mac is a pleasure and an honor. I love Direk Mac. He's one of the most brilliant directors I've worked with in TV and film. Dream come true rin 'yon. Plus, ang saya ng samahan namin. We have chemistry I can feel it. And this is a very different Direk Mac na makikita n'yo pagdating dito sa sa Tagpuan.”
Alfred considers himself lucky for being in an industry that allows himself to work side by side with icons in Philippine movie history.
“Imagine I have worked also with the likes of Eddie Romero [director], in his last film Faces of Love, yung ganon? Tapos I was able to work with Direk Mario O'Hara in my first Andres Bonifacio movie, Ang Pagililitis ni Andres Bonifacio. Ang sarap sa feeling as an actor.”
An unforgettable experience
Tagpuan, as Alfred himself would say, is not the typical love story. Told from the perspective of thirtysomethings, it is about chance encounters, second chances, finding the meaning of love and life, all while discovering oneself and his purpose in this world. It is also about the diaspora of Filipino overseas workers.
“This is a very mature love story. It's not the usual kilig-kilig, konting away, then balikan, then happily ever after,” said Alfred, who plays Allan, a wealthy businessman who after getting separated from his wife Agnes (played by Iza Calzado) in New York, meets an OFW named Tanya (Shaina Magdayao) in a chance encounter in Hong Kong.
“This is a very real love story. Yung mga kaedad ko will say, 'Wow ang sakit, but I can relate,' for sure. Sasabihin din nila, 'Ah okey, hay salamat, hindi lang pala ako ang nakaranas ng ganito.' Some will say, 'Ganito pala katotoo ang pagmamahal ng buhay.' Others will say, 'Yes, this is reality, and we can definitely relate to this film.'”
While he's optimistic that the story would tug at the viewers' heartstrings, Alfred knows that not many will instantly like Tagpuan.
“I will not be surprised if others will not get this film, kasi this is a mature love story. Nandyan ang passion, nandyan 'yon questioning the meaning of life, nandyan ang love and happiness, the mood of Hong Kong and New York, ang daming nangyayari.”
There is one thing that Alfred is sure that viewers would appreciate: the beautiful cinematography.
“One of the things that the film was able to capture successfully is the mood of the cities that we shot in. Direk Mac did a masterful job in expressing the mood of those places,” he said.
“Wala ring kaming dinaya na eksena, all the scenes in Hong Kong or New York, they were really shot there.”
If there's one scene in this movie that viewers should not miss, it's the one toward the end of the movie.
“Meron din kami eksena ni Iza towards the end of the film na I felt the magic of filmmaking, the magic of acting.
“Kami ni Iza, may chemistry na kami ever since e. That scene in the end na meron kaming medyo mahabang usapan na three pages long sa script, I really enjoyed that scene.
“Na-feel ko talaga at that particular moment, I was not Alfred. I was Allan and I was talking to my ex-wife Agnes played by Iza Calzado. I just felt that it was extra special because I felt the pain and I felt alive in that scene. I felt the loneliness, I felt the pain, the will to reconcile.
“When we heard 'cut!' it took me a few minutes to accept na cut na pala. Naapektuhan talaga ako.
Hard creative choices
If the team stuck to the original cut, Tagpuan would be running for two and a half hours long. But to meet the standards of MMFF and the taste of its audience, they had to trim it down to an hour and 45 minutes.
“Intentional naman yung first edit kasi ganon naman ang request ko. Luwagan natin yung edit palagi. Mas madaling magbawas kesa sa magdagdag.
“We had too much material. Actually may mga magagandang eksena na we had to remove, kasi at the end of the day, we want to cater to MMFF and the comforts of the viewing public.
“Kung kami-kami lang mga artists ang mag-uusap, okey na kami sa first edit. That's 45 minutes' worth of footage na tinanggal namin!”
While it pained Alfred to sacrifice certain scenes, he's confident that the final result is still well worth seeing.
“Direk Mac and our editor, Carlo Manatad, did a splendid job sa editing. Hindi ito yung linear na edit. Ang ganda, ang daming dimensions. When you watch the film, makikita mo yung editing iba, pero malinaw pa rin yung kuwento,” he said.
In fact, the final cut turned out better than how Alfred envisioned it.
“Actually it turned out better than I imagined it. At first, when we envisioned it, medyo linear siya, tapos may climax.
“Pero ngayon mas dynamic siya in the sense, tatlo kaming characters pero everybody would think that it's a love triangle. You'll realize that it's more than a love triangle, kasi we have stories of our own.
“The storytelling of Ricky Lee and Direk Mac, coupled with impeccable editing, mas napaganda pa yung kuwento.”
You can now watch Tagpuan and the other MMFF entries online. Here's a step-by-step guide to watching this year's MMFF online.
You may also want to read up on how the MMFF has adjusted to the “new normal” this year.