‘Ang Nawawala’: a curated glimpse of the local indie music scene

(Updated July 18, 10:07 a.m.) - “I drove like an asshole.” Despite being late and hurdling a typical migraine-inducing drive to Makati, Marie Jamora, director of the upcoming Cinemalaya film “Ang Nawawala” (What Isn’t There), was her usual perky and lively self when she met me for an interview. She is, after all, a girl known for her relentless energy. She writes, directs, teaches video production in her alma mater and even finds time to play drums for independent bands Boldstar and Blast Ople. 

 

And on top of these, she is pulling off a full-length Cinemalaya feature, a film almost 10 years in the making.

 

“I had a class with [screenwriter] Uro de la Cruz when I was a senior in college, and we had to make a script,” Jamora said. 

 

The script was actually a three-part film on psychological disorders. One part, however, stood out for Jamora: a story about twenty-something twins and the quest for their identities. 

 

“One twin had Tourette syndrome, and the other one lost his ability to speak,” Jamora said.

 

Jamora had since graduated and worked her way up as a director, but the story was like an itch that wouldn’t go away. While studying her masters in Film in Columbia University, Jamora continued reshaping the story, and eventually found it evolving. From being twins in their tweens and studying in a fictional, location-less international school environment, Jamora made the characters older and based them in Manila.

 

Twin actors Dominic and Felix Roco play Gibson and Jamie Bonifacio respectively. The former plays the silent twin Gibson, who is unable to speak after being profoundly affected by trauma, and goes back home to the Philippines after finishing his studies in the US.

 

“From film school to January of last year I had been writing [the screenplay] on and off but [I made] no progress,” Jamora said. “When I brought it to Brainchild Studios and told them that this was going to be my feature film, they asked me to get a co-writer. They recommended names but I always wanted to get Ramon.” Ramon de Veyra, columnist for The Philippine Star, contributing editor for Esquire Philippines, and Jamora’s friend from the Ateneo de Manila University, worked with her on the first season of Project Runway Philippines. 

 

“When Marie brought the script to me,” de Veyra recalled, “it [already] had characters and situations, but it lacked [set piece scenes] and connecting tissue.” They plunged themselves into the editing process – pasting here, chopping there. On their fourth draft, they received a call from Cinemalaya. The script made it as finalist in the Cinemalaya New Breed Category 2012. The film also received a grant from the National Commission of Culture and the Arts.

 

A musical world

 

In this film, Jamora combines her love for both music and filmmaking.

 

“We thought that it would be interesting that the [romantic] relationships [in the films] happen in gigs. These are all based on Jamora’s experiences, and that’s how she got all her boyfriends,” De Veyra jokingly chimed to make fun of Jamora, who, by this time was laughing so hard.

And if you’re in the indie music scene, you’d recognize the film’s locations: Route 196 on Katipunan Avenue, Saguijo in Makati, and the Collective in Makati, where the last Meiday concert was held.

 

With mostly unreleased tracks from Flying Ipis, Pedicab, Ang Bandang Shirley, Sandwich, and other independent groups, the movie’s soundtrack is Marie's own curated glimpse into a part of the local independent music scene in Manila.   

Most of the music was either commissioned, or taken from existing material, released or otherwise. For instance, Sandwich's contribution to the film "Mayday" is a version of an unreleased song which the band says is still being perfected.

 

Francis Cabal of the Strangeness shared how she and Marie started collaborating, “Marie messaged me through Facebook. She bought a copy of the EP and I believe she liked the last track called Jonestown.” 

 

Ang Bandang Shirley's Selena Salang told me that a song from their upcoming album “Tama Na Ang Drama” became part of the film after Jamora listened to the album and “fell in love with it.”

 

The song “No End in Sight” from Outerhope's new EP was originally commissioned for the film but a different version of the song was used instead.

 

For the musicians, the process of working on set proved to be interesting. One member of the Strangeness commented on the full-scale production, surprised when he was given a complete make-up by artist Pia Reyes. “Akala ko maliit lang yung production. ‘Yun pala, may make-up artist pa kami, may nagbibigay pa ng tubig. Akala ko na saka lang patay na ako at nasa punerarya may maglalagay ng make-up sa akin,” he fondly recalled.  

 

The musical scoring of “Ang Nawawala” was written by musicians Mikey Amistoso (Hannah+Gabi and Ciudad), Jazz Nicolas (Itchyworms), and Diego Mapa (Pedicab and Tarsius). Mapa originally wanted Jamora to make a music video for one of Tarsius’s songs “Deathless Gods”, which eventually became part of the movie’s soundtrack.

 

As I write this, the film is in post-production. On its gala premiere on July 21 at the CCP Main Theater, de Veyra hopes the audience will see the film as a glimpse into a world of someone loving, coping with loss, and discovering one's self. – AC/KG, GMA News