Special Sundance 2006 Edition

PEOPLE   Profile Featuring:

Dir: Aureaus Solito  "The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros"

Part II Interview
Transcription of a live on camera interview by Luis Pedron with Aureaus Solito, director of  "The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros."  Sundance Headquarters, Park City Marriott, Park City UTAH 
 

Luis: Hi, I am Luis Pedron of Fanclubx.com, I am in Sundance, January 20, 2006, it's about 6PM. Sunny weather here at Park City, UTAH. I am here with my friend Aureaus Solito from the Philippines. Mind  you, this is the first Filipino film that got accepted at this Worldreknown Film Festival called Sundance. I am so proud of this  friend of ours, Aureaus Solito's work about getting accepted at Sundance. Tells us about  your film. Everybody is really excited  about your film.

Aureaus: First of all, Manunga Banar (beautiful truths), The film is about a young gay boy  with a family of cell phone thieves in the slums of Manila and then he falls in love with a police man. So there is a big conflict between love for his family and his love for this guy. It depicts of the truths about what is happening in Manila now.

Luis: I actually went to the Press Screenings this morning.

Aureaus: How was it?

Luis: It was great! Everbody was laughing.

Aureaus: Really?

Luis: Yeah, Everybody liked it!

Aureaus: OK! Good! Thank you!

Luis: The good thing about it is that  it's something we are not used to seeing before. It's a mix of what the Philippines is and its also a portrayal of an Asian culture.  Because they (American audience) also want to see something ethnic and something new. But is a portrayal of Manila that we have not seen before.
How did you chose this material?

Aureaus: Well the material chose me. When Michiko (Yamamoto) won the first prize in the script writing contest in CineMalaya, a competition for Film Fund and they  were looking for a director.  Raymond Lee, the producer has seen my short films,  he has seen my documentary about my tribe in Palawan.  He asked me to direct the film.  Its serendipity.

Luis: Michiko's work has been internationally acclaimed so did you expect this film (The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros) to  have all this international interest?

Aureaus: Honestly, I never  expected  this big reaction. As of now I could not believe that I am going to Sundance, Rotterdam and Berlin (and in a few months ago Montreal). So its really unexpected. When I was doing it I actually, at first I did not want to  do it. Because, I wanted to do an aboriginal film, as my first. But, since no one would  want to fund a tribal movie, eventually,  Raymond (Lee) asked me to direct Michiko's script. Since I could really relate to the script, so I decided to direct the film.