The war on drugs in Direk Arlyn’s ‘Bubog’
She’s award winning, she’s a storyteller, and she’s a kind of director that speaks. And that’s the thing—she’s Arlyn dela Cruz and that’s the film makes interesting and exciting when Arlyn touches it.
‘Bubog’ is the latest offering of Blank Pages Productions and the latest masterpiece of Director Arlyn dela Cruz. It’s a story of a battle against drugs, a story of courage, a story of humanity, and a story of a Filipino that is being challenged by drugs.
Based on Direk Arlyn’s filmography, the director wants to be the voice of the society, and tells what to be told. She is aware of the society’s illness as her being a journalist and that always translates to visuals.
She’s kind of director that researches and learns from people.
The film created controversy when one of its original cast Baron Geisler urinated on Ping Medina. Geisler stated that the director allowed him to do whatever he felt to do as an actor. Direk Arlyn stopped him from being so unprofessional and get him out as cast.
Because of Baron’s unprofessionalism, it led to controversy that made his name controversial again. Baron is a type of actor that always put himself to danger.
Baron was replaced by Allan Paule and Ping Medina was replaced by his brother Karl Medina. In an interview, Karl said that he’s not willing to work with Baron.
What excites its viewers is that it pictures Pres. Duterte’s war on drugs. The film is timely and relevant. And somehow relatable to Filipino who experienced the same experience, battling with drugs.
It takes a lot of courage to reflect recent society’s ill on film. Direk Arlyn is brave enough to tell story that mirrors Filipino problem.
After all, it’s the values that we will get from the film after watching it. It’s the lesson that we will reflect as a human. The film is a great opening door for change. And that change is applicable to humanity and society.
Because as cliché it is, but more than visually compelling scenes, attracting production designs, good sound scoring, it’s the story and the lessons that always win in the heart of the Filipino viewers.
