Former Sen. Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan II —PHOTOS BY MARINEL
Former Sen. and Philippine Military officer Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan II had just one request to screenwriter Eric Ramos, who’s making the script to his biopic directed by Lester Dimaranan, “Gringo”: Don’t flip me right into a superhero.
“I keep in mind what he instructed me, ‘I bleed. I obtained injured. I additionally misplaced a finger. I’m human, so painting me as a human being.’” Ramos instructed Inquirer Leisure in a latest interview. He added that he sat down with the controversial retired soldier six or seven instances to debate the script.
“For me, the talks I’ve had with him have been by no means sufficient. We might at all times meet with a giant group, so there have been different considerations from the manufacturing staff that he additionally attended to. What’s good was that, for the primary three drafts, I sat down with him and had a read-through. He gave his feedback and if there have been factual errors, he tried to recall what occurred particularly incidents. He’s very hands-on, however as the author, I nonetheless wished he had extra time for me,” mentioned Ramos, who’s a two-time recipient of the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Award for Literature.
“I’m completely satisfied as it’s. That’s greater than what I anticipated from a topic. It’s simply that it’s actually onerous to jot down a biopic. It’s OK in case you’re writing one thing historic and the topic is useless. The distinction right here is that I have to confirm each single element that I obtained from analysis. It’s powerful, however fulfilling on the identical time,” he mentioned.
Ramos added that he was very acquainted with the interval, which Borracho Movies producer Ferdinand Topacio mentioned, “Begins out through the Edsa Revolution (in 1986) till Honasan’s dramatic escape from detention after the second coup d’ etat try…after he was captured.”
Ramos has simply completed the biography of the late politician and marine corps Gen. Rodolfo Biazon, titled “Rodolfo Biazon: Soldier. Solon. Statesman,” which received him the Nationwide E book award.
‘Closure’
“There have been many components of the guide that have been about Gringo. He was being hunted, whereas Biazon was the hunter. That’s why when this was supplied to me, the very first thing I requested was if Sen. Honasan knew that I wrote the Biazon guide. He simply laughed and mentioned he has no downside with it,” Ramos recalled.
“What’s attention-grabbing is that, lately, every week earlier than Biazon died, Honasan paid the latter a go to. They talked as buddies, as PMAers, as fellow army males. Mrs. Biazon mentioned this made her husband very completely satisfied,” mentioned Ramos, including that the Biazon household appreciated Honasan’s gesture a lot that they requested him to ship a eulogy through the first night time of the wake. “That served as closure for the 2 of them. I feel that’s an attractive story. Whereas doing this challenge, Sen. Honasan supplied me to jot down his biography guide. I simply mentioned, ‘Let’s cope with it after this film.’”
Lawyer and Borracho Movie Productions govt Ferdinand Topacio–MARINEL CRUZ
In the meantime, Jake Cuenca is anticipated to play the titular function. “He needs to see the script first,” mentioned Topacio. “I’ve little doubt that he’ll say ‘sure’ after studying Eric’s wonderful work. He possesses the requisite depth. Speaking to Sen. Honasan whereas creating the story, he has at all times had this interior turmoil since his cadet days. Whereas he’s a soldier, he has at all times been a little bit of a insurgent, too. This battle has at all times been simply seething beneath the floor. I’m assured that Jake will be capable of seize that,” Topacio added.
Different works
Ramos additionally wrote the romantic drama, titled “Spring in Prague,” starring Paolo Gumabao and Czech actress Sara Sandeva. He mentioned there have been delays as a result of the Borracho manufacturing staff needed to watch for six months to shoot the winter scenes in Prague. The challenge is at present in postproduction work, he added.
“It’s an allusion to Prague Spring, [a period of political liberalization and mass protest] within the Nineteen Sixties. Afterward within the Nineteen Eighties, there was additionally the so-called Velvet Revolution [or the collapse of the communist regime in Czechoslovakia],” Topacio mentioned.
Sara’s character, Maruska, is the daughter of a once-powerful communist celebration official who would have been president of Czechoslovakia through the Velvet Revolution, defined Topacio. “His mindset was caught through the glory days of communism. He took it upon himself to guard his daughter from the decadence of Western democracy, so she rebelled and went with out permission to the Philippines, as really helpful to her by a Spanish-Filipino good friend,” Topacio added.
Eric Ramos –ERIC RAMOS/ FACEBOOK
“She goes to Puerto Galera the place she meets Paolo’s character Alfonso, proprietor of a resort named Laissez Faire. She falls in love with Alfonso, however her father needs her again, so she is fetched by a chopper commissioned by the Czech embassy. She is whisked off with hardly time to say goodbye.”
Ramos can be the author of the 2023 Metro Manila Movie Pageant entry “Mamasapano: Now It Can Be Advised,” which follows the counterterrorism mission that killed 44 officers of the Philippine Nationwide Police.
In the meantime, “One Dinner a Week,” starring Edu Manzano and written by Straightforward Ferrer, can be in manufacturing. Topacio revealed that it’s a Might-December love affair with a tragic ending. One other materials is “Ache (Lure),” written by Roy Espiritu, Topacio reported.
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“I’ve at all times been a movie buff. I’ve watched and picked up lots of of movies, from the very first film ever made by the French studio Lumiere. I nonetheless have a DVD participant at residence. I made myself a promise that, earlier than I die, I wish to make one film. That was imagined to be ‘Mamasapano,’ however I spotted that I’m truly having fun with the method,” mentioned Topacio, who additionally lately launched the artists of the newly fashioned Borracho Artists and Abilities Administration. INQ
