DONSOL - A-1 Actors featured in "Donsol"

Aside from its profoundly moving tale of love, the film “Donsol” showcases intense performances from its male stars.

Adolfo Alix, Jr.’s first film features newcomer Sid Lucero pits acting talents against award-winning actor Bembol Roco, dependable thespians Simon Ibarra, Kenneth Ocampo and rising child star Aaron Junatas. Mark Gil also plays a pivotal role in film.

Lucero plays the lead Daniel, the heartbroken BIO (Butanding Interaction Officer) who meets the mysterious Teresa portrayed by Angel Aquino. Bembol is Fidel, Daniel’s worn-out and pessimistic father. Ibarra plays Nog, the gigolo BIO who acts as Daniel’s mentor. Ocampo is Tetay, a gay BIO who meets a British tourist who’s bringing her to London to marry him. Aaron plays Ito, Daniel’s brother. Gil is Dustin, Teresa’s husband.

Sid is a third generation actor from one of the most highly esteemed family of actors in the Philippines. His father is award-winning actor Mark Gil and his mother is Bing Pimentel, a former top fashion model-beauty queen turned film and television actress. His first work on film, Lav Diaz’s 8-hour black and white opus Heremias, was immediately noticed when the film competed and won a Special Jury Prize in the 2006 Fribourg International Film Festival in Switzerland.

Roco made his on-screen debut in Lino Brocka’s classsic Maynila, Sa Kuko Ng Liwanag (Manila in the Claws of Light) in 1975. Since then, he has become one of the Philippines’ finest thespians who received acclaim and notices for his bravura performances in films like Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos (Three Godless Years) by Mario O’ Hara, Sa Piling Ng Mga Sugapa (In the Den Of Drug Addicts) by Gil Portes, Pagputi Ng Uwak, Pag-itim Ng Tagak (When The Crow Turns White, When The Heron Turns Black) by Celso Ad Castillo and Orapronobis (Fight For Us) and Gumapang Ka Sa Lusak (A Dirty Affair) both by Lino Brocka.

Ibarra received favorable notices for his performance in the films Interm@tes by Hamilton McLeod, Dama de Noche (Woman of the Night) by Lori Reyes, Minsan May Isang Puso (Kind- Hearted) by Jose Javier Reyes and Sa Paraiso Ni Efren (In Efren’s Paradise) by Maryo delos Reyes. For his breakthrough turn in Live Show by Jose Javier Reyes, he earned an URIAN nod for Best Supporting Actor.

Ocampo, more popularly known as “Tetay” in the comedy bar circuit, is making a name for himself as an excellent stand-up comedian. His first on-screen appearance in Maryo delos Reyes’ Laman (Flesh) earned him a Best Supporting Actor nomination from Star Awards proving his gift as an actor.

Junatas is one of the fast rising child actors in the Philippines. He was discovered when he landed as one of the runners-up in a local kid’s talent search. He was seen in the ABS-CBN television series Krystala and the weekly sitcom My Juan and Only.

Gil belongs to the esteemed clan of actors in the Philippines (along with sister Cherie Gil and son Sid Lucero who co-stars with him in the film). He has proved his mettle and longevity as a talented actor by appearing and starring in some of Philippine cinemas’ gems over the years: Mike de Leon’s Batch ‘81, Chito Roño’s Itanong Mo Sa Buwan (The Moonchild), Gil Portes’ Saranggola (The Kite) and Maryo delos Reyes’ Magnifico.

“Donsol” debuted in the 2nd Cinemalaya Philippine International Independent Film Festival last July where it won Best Actress for Angel Aquino and Best Cinematography. It also bagged the Special Jury Prize in the Asian Marine Film Festival in Japan and the Jury Prize for Best Low Budget Feature in the recently concluded Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival in Florida, U.S.A. It will also compete in the Monaco International Film Festival this December and will be screened in the Cairo International Film Festival, the Dominican Republic International Film Festival, and the Asian Festival of 1st Films in Singapore this December.

The movie will be released by Star Cinema on November 29 in theaters nationwide. “Donsol” is co-produced by Gilbert Remulla, Joel Villanueva, Florencio “Bembem” Noel, Justin Chipeco, Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Mujiv Hataman, Armando Ilano, Sunil Shah, Roger Matira, N. Catamco and Senedy Que.

The film is also graded "A" by the Cinema Evaluation Board and classified PG13 by the Movie & Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB).

Remastered and transferred to 35mm Technicolor print.

FILM FESTIVAL SCREENINGS:

WINNER - Jury Prize for Best Low Budget Feature
Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival 2006
U.S.A.

WINNER - Special Jury Prize
Asian Marine Film Festival 2006 (Japan)

WINNER
Best Actress, Best Cinematography
Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival 2006

IN COMPETITION
Monaco International Film Festival 2006

FESTIVAL OF FESTIVALS
Cairo International Film Festival 2006

OFFICIAL SELECTION
Asian Festival of 1st Films (Singapore)

OFFICIAL SELECTION
Dominican Republic International Film Festival

REVIEWS ABOUT “DONSOL”
“Excellent piece of work… heartfelt and engaging.”
-Mark Schilling, Japan Times, Variety
“One of the best Filipino films in recent years...”
-Kakutani Masaru, Chairman of the Jury
Asian Marine Film Festival (Japan)
“Angel Aquino is the Ingrid Bergman of Asia!”
-Members of the Jury
Asian Marine Film Festival (Japan)
“…filled with stunning images and heartfelt performances.”
-Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival
“The story’s ebb and flow of life by the seaside town is charming throughout- with endearing characters… “
Laura Kelly, South Florida Sun - Sentinel
“…fine performances from Sid Lucero and (Cinemalaya) festival Best Actress Angel Aquino.”
-Nestor Torre, Philippine Daily Inquirer
“An insightful story about love’s fleeting fragility… refreshingly beautiful, calming movie … lyrical and poetic…”Donsol” may even make you believe Philippine cinema can be great again.”
-Paul Daza, Philippine Daily Inquirer
“The underwater photography is breathtaking… technical finesse was obvious and already leagues ahead…”
-Juaniyo Arcellana, Philippine Star
“…extremely fine film with fine performances… newcomer Sid Lucero is an excellent actor!”
-Behn Cervantes, Business World
“(Writer/Director) Alix effectively weaves romance and local color, capturing the spectacular sights of the seaside town.”
-Ronald Constantino, Tempo
“…it is one (movie) that made me proud to be a Filipino.”
-Dr. Ramon Ricardo Roque, Tempo

CAST

Sid Lucero Daniel
Angel Aquino Teresa
Cherie Gil Mars
Jaclyn Jose Ligaya
Bembol Roco Fidel
Simon Ibarra Nog
Mark Gil Dustin
Kenneth Ocampo Tetay
Aaron Junatas Ito
Erika Anne Luna Cita

CAST

SID LUCERO
Touted as the next important actor of Philippine cinema, Sid is a third generation actor from one of the most highly esteemed family of actors in the Philippines.

His first work on film, Lav Diaz’s 8-hour black and white opus Heremias, was immediately noticed when the film competed and won a Special Jury Prize in the 2006 Fribourg International Film Festival in Switzerland.
He has also finished a horror film, Mark Philipp Espina’s Siquijor: Mystic Island but it’s in Adolfo Alix, Jr.’s Donsol where Lucero will essay his first lead role.
Lucero is also a television actor and commercial model in the Philippines.


CAST

ANGEL AQUINO
One of the most beautiful faces that has graced Philippine cinema, Angel Aquino plays her most important role as Teresa in Adolfo Alix, Jr.’s Donsol. Her nuanced portrayal of a breast cancer survivor in the film won Best Actress in the 2nd Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival and a Special Citation, comparing her to screen legend Ingrid Bergman, in the Asian Marine Film Festival in Japan.

A consistent favorite of the most respected film directors in the Philippines, Aquino also won various acting awards and citations from her outstanding performances in films like Lav Diaz’s Serafin Geronimo: Kriminal Ng Barrio Concepcion (The Criminal Of Barrio Concepcion), Chito Roño’s Laro Sa Baga (Playing With Fire), Jeffrey Jeturian’s Sana Pag-ibig Na (Enter Love), Gil Portes’ Beautiful Life, Mark Meily’s Crying Ladies and Dante Mendoza’s “Kaleldo (Summer Heat).
Aquino is also a highly esteemed television host and program presenter, aside from her various modeling stints and endorsement appearances.

PRODUCTION STAFF AND CREW

Producer/Writer/ Director Adolfo Alix, Jr.
Executive Producers Adolfo Alix, Jr.
Ricky Gallardo
Co-Producers Gilbert Remulla
Francis Joseph Escudero
Justin Chipeco
Florencio Noel
Mujiv Hataman
Emmanuel Joel Villanueva
Sunil Shah
Armando Ilano
N. Catamco
Roger Matira
Senedy Que
Line Producer Lea Calmerin
Associate Line Producer Maan Dimla
Supervising Producer Maxie Evangelista
Director of Photography Eli Balce
Underwater Photography Boy Siojo
Neyney Guevara
Carina Escudero
Marissa Floirendo
Omar Nepomuceno
Bobby Adrao
Editing Tara Illenberger
Music Jesse Lucas
Production Design Gessan Enriquez
Field Sound Recordist Ari Trofeo
Sound Engineer Mac Vasquez

SYNOPSIS

Love is an ocean of emotions.
Whale sharks, magnificent creatures of the deep, visit once a year the turquoise waters of Donsol.

Daniel (Sid Lucero), the young guide who swims with the whale sharks, finds himself drawn to Teresa (Angel Aquino), a woman as beautiful and mysterious as the visitors of the sea.
Burdened by past heartaches and uncertain of the future, the two find sanctuary in each other as love surfaces anew.

As the tide rises and recedes in a cycle of loss and renewal, Donsol provides the breathtaking backdrop to a story of heartbreak, and the healing power of love.

THE DIRECTOR

ADOLFO ALIX JR. (Producer, Writer and Director)
Adolfo B. Alix Jr. is one of the new voices in Philippine cinema. He graduated magna cum laude at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (University of the City of Manila) with a degree in Mass Communications.

His first screenplay, Ada won the top prize at the 1997 Film Development Foundation of the Philippines (FDFPI) scriptwriting contest and from which Carlos Siguion-Reyna’ s Kahapon May Dalawang Bata (Yesterday Children) (1999) was based on. The film won runner-up honors at the People’s Choice Awards of the 1999 Toronto International Film Festival and was awarded Best Foreign Film in the Newport Film Festival. It was also included in The Legacy Project, an international selection of the last century’s cinematic heritage.

Mga Munting Tinig (Small Voices) (2002), which he co-wrote with Senedy Que and Gil Portes won both local and international acclaim- winning Best Picture honors at the Star, FAMAS and URIAN awards in the Philippines. The triumvirate also earned ‘Best Picture, Director and Screenplay’ honors at the 2003 Palm Beach International Film Festival. Warner Bros. eventually bought the film for local distribution.

Homecoming, about the travails of an overseas worker diagnosed with S.A.RS., won Most Gender Sensitive Film in the 2003 Metro Manila Film Festival and was released by Columbia Pictures for local distribution. His other film credits include the multi-layered drama Beautiful Life, the horror-comedy hit D’ Anothers, the 2005 Cinemanila Filmfest entry Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and the 2005 Metro Manila Film Festival farce Mourning Girls, the psychological drama Umaaraw, Umuulan (Rain/Shine) and the horror flick Siquijor: Mystic Island.

In between film assignments, he works as a freelance television writer. He was a contributing writer for GMA-7’s Pira-Pirasong Pangarap (Shattered Dreams), a mini-series dealing with the pains, struggles and triumph of women and children; Kung Mawawala Ka (If You’ll Be Gone), a soap opera dealing with the tumultuous lives of a rival political clan and ABS-CBN’s reality love team search, QPIDS.

He also handled film and screenwriting classes at his alma mater. He’s now teaching scriptwriting at San Beda College-Alabang.
Donsol is his directorial debut.

PRODUCTION NOTE

“DONSOL’ was born out of my fascination on how these huge sea creatures, the butandings (whalesharks) , visit this small fishing village in the Southern Philippines. It’s likea cycle. Since the whalesharks are migratory in nature, they may or may not come back. That sparked an idea in my mind to tell a parallel love story about two people who may or may not end up together. Both of them are haunted by their past and heartbroken, so they connected in this seemingly Edenic paradise but they have to face realities.

I felt that it’s a good metaphor in an existential way. People always come and go in our lives- friends, loved ones, but in the end you come out of every experience a better person. The journey is more important than the destination. Whalesharks leave Donsol but there is always a promise that it may come back. If it does not return, the fisherfolks’ lives have been changed by the visit of these sharks forever.

“DONSOL” is a very simple story. I just want people not to be afraid of confronting lonesomeness. I’ve read somewhere that says, “Sadness is the emotion that lingers the most, certainly longer than happiness.” It’s strange because in solitude, it lifts your spirit in a strange way because it inspires you to think of your very existence.

Love may slip through your fingers but life goes on. There’s always a better promise of things to come.