lolliplay Zig Dulay says excitement is what fueled him in doing ‘Green Bones’ for MMFF 2024

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The cast, director and screenwriters of the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) entry “Green Bones.” Image: Courtesy of GMA Pictures

While his “Firefly” holds the title of Best Picture at last year’s Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), director Zig Dulay doesn’t feel any pressure to outdo its success, as he would rather focus on maintaining his colleagues’ trust.

Dulay is the director of the MMFF 2024 entry “Green Bones” starring Dennis Trillo and Ruru Madrid, with National Artist Ricky Lee and Angeli Atienza as the screenwriters.

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The film follows the story of Domingo Zamora (Trillo) who was charged with the murder of his sister and her daughter. While he’s set to be released, a prison guard named Xavier Gonzaga (Madrid) is determined to keep Zamora behind bars as his life’s mission.

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“Hindi naman ako super fan ng competition, sa totoo lang. ‘Yung point na nagtiwala [ulit] ang GMA Pictures and GMA Films sa akin para sa next project nila despite the fact na nag-succeed, ‘yun ang iniisip ko,” Dulay said in response to INQUIRER.net’s question during the film’s media conference.

(I’m not a big fan of competition, to be honest. The fact that GMA Pictures and GMA Films trusted me with their next project knowing my past achievements is what I focus on.)

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Zig Dulay during the media conference for “Green Bones” in Quezon City. Image: Courtesy of GMA Corporate Communications

While Dulay is aware that making a film is hard, it’s harder for him to maintain the trust of his peers which, in turn, ignites him to do his best. “Nakikita ko ‘yung project [bilang] collaboration.”

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“Meron kaming sandalan na National Artist, and kung nakita niyo ang aming set hanggang sa matapos ang pelikula, hindi ako pinabayaan,” he continued. “Lahat nagtutulungan kaya hindi ko feel na mag-isa [ako]. Hindi ko pinapataw sa pangalan ng director ang mga bagay-bagay. Hindi ako masyadong pressured [makakuha ng award], ang pressure is magawa kung ano ang inaasahan.”

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(I see this project as a collaboration. We have a National Artist, and my colleagues on set never made me feel alone until the film was finished. We helped one another. I don’t want to view the director as the sole reason behind its success. I’m not too pressured to get an award. Instead, I want to do well.)

Actor’s director

Touching on his close friendships with the stars he worked with, Dulay maintained that he doesn’t see himself as an “actor’s director,” noting his admiration for the late filmmakers Lino Brocka and Ishmael Bernal.

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“Ang hirap i-claim [ng title]. Masarap sa pakiramdam na mai-line up sa kanila. Pero never ko naman silang mapapalitan (It’s hard to claim the title. It feels so nice that I’m considered among them, but I never want to replace them),” he said, touching on his friendship with his celebrity colleagues.

One of the factors that Dulay considers as a filmmaker is ensuring an actor’s best is shown onscreen, which he believes, might’ve played a role in earning their respect on- and off-cam.

“That’s the reason why nakakadagdag ng pressure sa akin na gusto nila akong maka-work. Hindi ko alam kung anong meron at hindi ko alam kung naibigay ko ba sa kanila yung expectations nila. At the same time, I’m grateful dahil gusto ko din silang maka-work,” he said.

“Maybe because ang role na pinapakita ko sa kanila bilang director ay ilabas sa kanila yung tunay nilang husay, ‘yung tunay nilang galing. At lagi ko yung pinipiga,” he continued.

(This is the reason why I feel more pressured to do my best when I work with actors. I don’t know if I have the right qualities and if I fulfilled their expectations. At the same time, I’m grateful because they want to work with me. Maybe because I ensure that they give their best on set. And I make sure to get that out of them.)

The cast, creatives, and production team of MMFF 2024 entry “Green Bones.” Image: Courtesy of GMA Corporate Communications

Since “Green Bones” touches on the topic of hope, Dulay noted that its theme is “completely different” from “Firefly,” and he hopes it will resonate with the audience in real life.

“Magkaiba ang ‘Firefly’ and ‘Green Bones’ [kung ia-apply] sa totoong buhay,” he said. “Ang nagpa-oo sa’kin is paano mo gagawin ito sa totoong buhay and paano mo ito mabo-boost sa best version niya. At the same time, paano mo ipaparamdam ang buong tema sa loob ng isang kulungan, paano mamamayani ang kabutihan.”

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(The themes of “Firefly” and “Green Bones” are different when applied to real life. What made me say yes to doing this is how I can apply its theme in real life, and how I would ensure that its best version is shown to the public. At the same time, how will I make sure that hope and goodness will reign inside a prison cell?)

Also part of the film’s cast are Sofia Pablo, Iza Calzadololliplay, Alessandra De Rossi, Royce Cabrera, Michael de Mesa, Kylie Padilla, Wendell Ramos and Sienna Stevens.

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