LOS ANGELES—“I was forever changed because of them,” declared Filipino-American actor, Clifford Bañagale, who stars in “Busong (Fate),” Auraeus Solito’s film, which he is shooting in Palawan. “Them” are Auraeus, the production’s cast and crew, and the Palawan people Clifford met.
The actor said via e-mail that he was thrilled to be cast by Auraeus in “Busong,” which Solito plans to enter in this year’s Cinemalaya film fest. He plays Aris, a young man who is searching for himself, in the film about the Palawanon concept of fate or instant karma in the context of mankind’s relationship with nature.
Roller-coaster ride
The role resonated with Clifford, who left the Philippines for the US when he was only 6 years old. “During filming, I concluded how extremely parallel Aris’ universe was to mine,” he enthused. “I was grateful to the Palawan people, because I found myself in them. It was a deep-rooted, emotional roller-coaster ride for me! It changed my heart.”
Clifford found solace in the movie’s cast, crew and the people of Palawan. The camaraderie helped, because his journey back home, after being away for many years, left him emotionally vulnerable.
“I was an emotional wreck, to be honest,” Clifford admitted. I didn’t know how deep that wound was, that longing for my people and for them to accept me. In the middle of my stay there, I started to question who I really was.”
As a young immigrant, Clifford had identity issues: “In school, I never felt Filipino enough for the Filipino kids. It was considered ‘uncool’ to speak Tagalog, so I quickly forgot it. My hair was curly, and my skin was of a darker shade due to my countless hours in the swim and water polo teams in school. I wasn’t the acceptable light-skinned, straight-haired American-born Filipino, and because of that, I struggled to find my identity. I wanted to accept myself fully and be accepted by my own people.”
Asked how different his filming experience was from that in the US, the actor, who played boytoy, Diesel, in Sacha Baron Cohen’s “Bruno,” answered, “There are obvious differences because, in the US, union contracts define the working conditions. The Filipino indie way of filming was, in my experience, immensely professional, even though it’s extremely slight in crew size—and genuinely family-oriented.”
He fondly remembers light moments with his costar, Alessandra de Rossi, away from the camera. “She is a comic in her own right,” he remarked. “She’s very funny!”
Kinship
The director and his lead actor found kinship in each other. “Auraeus described how much he saw his earlier self in me,” Clifford revealed. “And, how much he’s been changed by his people. I, in turn, discovered how similar we are as individuals, although we are different in many respects.”
“Auraeus was so giving, kind and warm-hearted, and knew exactly how to guide his actors. I’ve worked with many talented directors in theater and film, but my time spent with him was unparalleled.”
Clifford gratefully pointed out that this is his first major break in cinema. “No one has ever given this short, brown-skinned boy the same opportunities that the more mainstream actors in the States and the Philippines have been given,” he said. “Auraeus helped me become more honest in my work, more appreciative of the life around me and prouder to be brown. I only hope that more people take a chance on me, like Auraeus has.”
Asked if he still gets recognized as Diesel in those raunchy scenes in “Bruno,” Clifford answered, “Yes, I do! By the way, be sure to check out the deleted scenes from the film that are now on DVD!”
Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer
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