AFTER CANNES, JAPANESE FILM CO-PRODUCED BY SYLVIA SANCHEZ, ALEMBERG ANG TO BE SHOWN IN PHILIPPINES

When filmmaker Alemberg Ang learned that the Japanese coming-of-age film “Renoir” needed additional funding, he thought of bringing in actress-producer Sylvia Sanchez.

The film, which tells the story of an 11-year-old coping with adolescence and family issues in late ‘80s Japan, had its world premiere in the main competition of the 78th Cannes Film Festival last month. It was megged by Chie Hayakawa, director of the critically acclaimed “Plan 75,” a dystopian drama that also touched on Filipino caregivers looking after the aging population in Japan.

Megged by Chie Hayakawa, director of the critically acclaimed “Plan 75,” a dystopian drama about the aging population in Japan, tells the story of an 11-year-old coping with adolescence and family issues in late ‘80s Japan.

Ang, head of Daluyong Studios, introduced the founder of Nathan Studios to the team behind “Renoir,” including Hayakawa, when they came to the Philippines last year.

Sanchez was already impressed with the team’s track record and their work in “Plan 75,” what ultimately sealed the deal for her was their aim to bring the film to the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.

“Maganda ang record nila sa Cannes, and if proven and reliable ang reputation, malamang mapasok ka,” said Sanchez during a presscon on Monday. “So I said, why not? Last year was my third time at Cannes. The first time, I just went to observe because I wanted to produce films. I wanted to find out kung ano ang ‘in’ ngayon.”

She added, “The second year, I brought (the Nathan Studios hard-action movie) ‘Topakk,’ which was screened there although not in the main competition. I also attended MIPCOM Cannes, the annual market for TV series. Then last year, my short film with Angel Aquino, ‘Silid,’ was featured in the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight.”

Aside from producing, she has also been acquiring international titles for Philippine distribution through Nathan Studios.

So, when “Renoir” finally made it to the 78th edition of Cannes last May, it was a dream come true for her.

“Ako kahit red carpet, OK na ako,” she quipped about being part of what is considered the world’s biggest film festival.

“Natupad ‘yon, at ‘di ako nagkamali na magtiwala kay Alem at sa group.”

“Hoping kami na next year, meron na naman kami,” she added.

Meanwhile, Ang and Sanchez recalled how their partnership came to be in the first place.

Ang recalled the first time they were introduced to each other was during Sanchez’s initial visit to Cannes.

“She told me, ‘Hanapan mo ako ng pelikula na pupunta sa Cannes.’ At first, I thought she wasn’t serious,” he said

Sanchez mused that the producer’s reaction was he just “looked at me and said, ‘OK.’”

But the second time they ran into each other, she followed up — and that was when he realized she was serious.

“It’s not easy to produce a film that can make it to Cannes. But by then, she had already produced ‘Topakk,’ which made it to Locarno. That impressed me. Then they also distributed ‘Monster,’ the Japanese thriller that won Best Screenplay at Cannes — so I saw that she was serious.

“So, every time may naririnig akong project with Cannes potential — because there’s never a guarantee — I would ask her (if she’s interested to co-produce). Good thing, she already knew the director, so I connected them. That was it.”

While Sanchez begged off from giving numbers, Ang said that the former contributed a significant part of the production budget of “Renoir.”

Nevertheless, as co-producers, they didn’t just invest financially. They were also involved from the start from reviewing the script to attending the shoot in Japan.

“They asked us if the script was OK, if we had anything to add, or were there any questions,” said Sanchez.

For her, it was also a learning opportunity — to observe Japanese filmmaking practices, both as a producer and as an actress, and to see what might work in the Philippine setting.

Ang added, “They were very strict with time. Marami silang takes where the actors don’t even speak — just movement — for the sound effects. Maraming steps silang ginagawa.”

Sanchez also observed, “They work three hours, then take a one-hour nap, then another three hours, then another break… Gusto ko siyang i-adapt, pero mahirap.

“Pero nakakabilib sila. Me, as producer and actress, (they have practices that make you say) sana ganito din sa atin sa Pinas.”

The film also shot scenes in the Philippines, particularly in a beach in Batangas.

The location was chosen because it “looked like Santorini in Greece and didn’t look like Japan at all.”

The Philippine co-producers handled the local production and worked closely with international crew members.

“So makita mo, kaya pala tumapat ang mga Pilipino sa mga French, Japanese, and other foreign filmmakers,” said Ang.

“This wasn’t a co-prod where we just brought in money — this also involved actual work,” added Sanchez.

Aside from the Philippines and Japan, “Renoir” also involved producers from Singapore, France, Qatar and Malaysia.

“This may not be a Filipino movie in the sense that hindi Pinoy ang bida, but Filipinos worked behind ‘Renoir.’ They saw our capacity as Pinoy,” said Sanchez.

The film is heading to more international festivals. It will be shown in Japan and will be released in France soon. It will hit Philippine cinemas later this year.

2025-06-09T16:36:24Z