CAVITE

by Jamie Lynn Paranal, SDAFF writer

It’s a common belief that a film needs millions of dollars, high-profile actors and extravagant special effects to be successful. But CAVITE, with its guerilla filmmaking techniques, outlasts other thrillers by proving this theory wrong and delivering a film with layer after layer of thought-provoking themes on a low budget.

A young man, Adam, returns to his hometown in the Philippines and becomes the victim of a terrorist who holds the life of Adam’s family in his hands. Throughout the film, the audience is given a firsthand look at Cavite – a town of littered streets, rabid dogs, polluted water, and people who will do almost anything to survive.

Adam treks through the streets of Cavite, following the demands of a terrorist who holds his family hostage.

Cavite is a location most travelers prefer to avoid and its chaos is essential to the film. For directors Ian Gamazon and Neill Dela Llana, shooting in locations where tourists “wouldn’t dare go” was the best decision they ever made. After discussing the possibility of setting the film in Los Angeles, San Diego or Mexico, it was clear that filming anywhere other than the movie’s namesake wouldn’t have the same effect, according to Dela Llana.

“(Los Angeles or San Diego) definitely would’ve been an easier shoot for us but it just would’ve been a typical movie,” Gamazon said. “That idea lasted for like five minutes.”

Despite the town’s infamous reputation for producing the country’s most notorious rebels, both directors felt comfortable and were only met with welcoming locals.

“Since we were already familiar with the Philippines and specifically the town of Cavite, it was not bad at all,” said Dela Llana. “Most of the locations were scouted beforehand and we made safety a priority before actually shooting.

“We wanted to make the setting a character in the film, considering there’s only one other primary character that we show.”

Even Gamazon, who was nervous at first (since the last time he was there was at the age of 9), felt at ease shortly thereafter.

“To be perfectly honest I feel that we experienced a part of the Philippines that most people who go to the Philippines never experience because they would much prefer visiting the touristy side of P.I.,” he said. “It really just opened my eyes seeing all the poverty and how they live. It might look a little frightening at first, but really they were just the friendliest people we encountered.”

Co-writer and co-director, Ian Gamazon, also became lead actor after failing to secure an actress for the potentially dangerous role.

The film’s location was a turnoff for potential leads, which was originally supposed to be played by a female. The script evolved from its conception to what we actually see on screen: the lead character played by Gamazon himself.

“It’s weird because the script went through so many stages,” Gamazon said. “It was originally supposed to have a Christian vs. Muslim theme. Somehow the script wasn’t working and we made the lead into a Muslim-American character, and everything just fell into place after that. It flowed much better.”

“I think the film would have been very different if a female played the lead,” Dela Llana said. “I guess we’ll never know.”

Gamazon’s part in the film was a blessing in disguise for both directors. Adam was a character more Americans, and not just Filipinos, could relate to, and according to Dela Llana, the contrast between the character and life in the Philippines “automatically created conflict between him and the terrorist caller.” As the movie progresses, new layers of conflict are revealed: the inner conflict that arises when Adam goes back to a country that he came from but is still foreign to him, the hostility between Filipino Muslim extremists and the Philippine government, the religious tension between two Muslims who share a religion but differ in how they interpret its teachings, the toughest decision Adam has to face when his family’s life is at the mercy of a terrorist, and the harsh reality of surviving in a third world country and doing almost anything to live just one more day. It’s impossible to watch this film without realizing the hardships many Filipinos face as they struggle to survive in this poverty-stricken town and having a sense of appreciation for the things we normally take for granted.

“Our first priority was to tell a story rather than deal with the issues that came with the film,” Gamazon said. “Everything else was second. If the story doesn’t work then the issues do not work.”

There’s a reason why CAVITE has been dubbed the ultimate independent film. With limited equipment, cast and budget, directors Dela Llana and Gamazon step out of their comfort zone to expose a world that is upsetting, frightening and real, managing to turn a simple story into one that leaves you thinking long after the credits have rolled.

For more information about CAVITE, visit www.cavitemovie.com