Angeli Bayani is one of the most respected actresses in the country.
It’s been a few years since she made a big splash in her much talked-about role in Ilo-Ilo, a Singaporean film by Anthony Chen that traveled around the globe, bagged international awards, and showcased Angeli’s acting prowess.
Even master filmmaker and two-time Oscar Best Director winner Ang Lee was so impressed with Angeli’s performance that he described the Filipina actor as a “national treasure” when he was in the country on an official visit two years ago.
In the coming days, local independent film patrons and followers will again be treated to another dimension of the Angeli Bayani brand of exceptional acting. She will be giving life to a lesbian tattoo artist who dreams of bearing a child in Ned’s Project, a main competition entry to the 2016 Cine Filipino Film Festival.
Directed by the fast-rising Lem Lorca (Intoy Syokoy, Mauban, Water Lemon), Ned’s Project is inspired by a real-life character in a quaint town in Southern Luzon whose simple joys are derived from her being a tattoo creator, a caregiver to her ailing mentor and a lover to her girlfriend.
“Ned is a very colorful character in the small town where I come from. When I got to meet the real Ned, I knew I had to make a film about her. And when we made it to the short list of the festival, the tall task of finding the actor to give life to Ned was our main priority. When we secured the deal with Angeli Bayani, we knew that it was going to be an exciting journey,” the filmmaker shared.
Angeli doesn’t mind that she wasn’t the original choice to take on the lead character. “I was informed that they originally had Aiza Seguerra in mind but there were schedule conflicts and Aiza had to turn down the film. I love Aiza and have the highest respect for him, both as a person and as an artist of top caliber. I guess I’m lucky to have bagged the role,” Angeli said. Lem shared this interesting anecdote: “When I was in a lunch meeting with the casting head of the film about possible replacements for Aiza, the name of Angeli was mentioned. And after about five minutes, guess who we saw walking outside the restaurant—Angeli Bayani! I guess it was really meant to be. What’s the word? Fate.”
Angeli had to undergo some transformation to prepare for her difficult role. “I had to have a major hair style change. I had to look and feel butch. I had to learn how to ride a motorbike. I had to observe how a tattoo artist works. I had to know the core of her being, especially since there is a real-life Ned who inspired the creation of the character. It was a real challenge for me as an actor.”
Angeli Bayani is surely making the right choices as far as her film roles are concerned. After her big win at the prestigious Urian awards two years ago, she continues to improve and excel as an actor.
She also shared that over the years, she has also learned to say no and not feel guilty when she and her management team politely turn down an offer, because some producers and directors still treat those who are labeled as “nonmainstream” actors as second-class artists in terms of monetary rates and packages. “I still don’t feel comfortable when people from production, or even filmmakers, say things like ‘Indie lang naman ito eh! or ‘Wala kaming budget kasi indie lang ito.’ I mean, bakit may ‘lang,’ hindi ba? Bakit hindi maghanap muna ng budget bago gumawa ng film, hindi ba? Often, they just use it as an alibi, a strategy and even an easy excuse in their pursuit of their own personal dreams and plans.”
Don’t let her diminutive features undermine what she can do as an actor because certainly, Angeli is one big, bold and brave soul. As her director aptly puts it, “You will be surprised by Angeli as Ned. She is larger than life.”
WINNING STREAK FOR WAR-THEMED DOCUMENTARY
THE top executives of the Philippine Veterans Bank know that they made a good decision to support the documentary, titled Unsurrendered: The Hunters ROTC Guerrillas. The winning streak continues for this little film as it took home the Golden Award at the World Documentary Awards held recently in Jakarta, Indonesia.
This recognition is the fourth for the 52-minute documentary directed by Bani Logroño since it premiered last September.
The docu gives viewers a deeper understanding as to why teenaged Philippine Military Academy and Reserve Officers’ Training Corps cadets, deemed too young to be sent to war against the Japanese, fled to the mountains and became effective guerrilla units that fought the Japanese, and later in the war provided intelligence that helped the liberation forces of Gen. Douglas MacArthur. The first recognition it got was the Best Independent Documentary plum at the Hollywood International Moving Pictures Film Festival in Los Angeles, and that was immediately followed by another win at the Kiwi International Film Festival 2015 in New Zealand. It also recently won the Royal Reel Award at the Canada International Film Festival.