‘Mamasapano’ producer wants fair treatment in MMFF

Mamapasano: Now It Can Be Told is among eight entries to the 2022 Metro Manila Film Festival. The annual holiday event will be held on-site for the first time in two years since the pandemic.

In a media conference, the movie's producer, the articulate and witty lawyer Ferdinand Topacio, issued a warning. He said if he finds out that an entry is pulled out from cinemas due to low ticket sales even if the festival isn't over, he will raise a howl.

He said: "Anong klaseng festival ka kung puro gross ang tinitingnan mo? Actually, kaya sumali ako rito is para ma-criticize ko sila.

"Kasi kung wala ako, wala akong karapatang mag-criticize. Ngayong nandito ako, bahala kayo sa buhay niyo. Mag-iingay talaga ako hanggang hindi niyo binabago ang sistema niyo."

Topacio explained that since the organizers said the eight entries were
well-chosen, these should be given the privilege of being screened throughout the festival's duration from 25 December to 7 January.

Mamasapano is a retelling of the 44 Special Action Forces troopers killed in an anti-terrorist operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on 25 January 2015.

Said its scriptwriter Eric Ramos: "Ito ang pinakamahirap na script na sinulat ko kasi hindi ka puwedeng mag-imbento … we had to do a lot of research.

"The primary source of the movie is the report by the PNP Board of Inquiry led by Gen. Benjamin Magalong, which is very thorough. It is a war movie as it shows 'yung pakikipaglaban ng PNP sa terrorists, and also procedural as it goes to establish who's really culpable sa mga nangyari."

Topacio insisted the movie sticks to the facts: "We didn't do it to put anyone in a bad light. We just want the truth to come out. The only fictionalized characters are those played by Ritz Azul and Myrtle Sarrosa as news reporters from rival networks. They help in forwarding the narrative.

"It was a long, hard battle for this movie kasi we entered it in 2020 as a script and it was rejected…"

Mamasapano stars Edu Manzano, Aljur Abrenica, Paolo Gumabao, and the Vivamax boys (including Marco Gomez) who crawled on mud, got soaked in the rain, burned under the sun, and slept side by side in the movie fully clothed.

Lester Dimaranan, who directed one MMFF entry in 2021, also helmed Mamasapano.