Presenting myself at the desk, I asked where i could meet with Valentina, my contact at the press office and they told me that PROBLEM!!! They can't seem to find the director! Benji Garcia is missing!
As the representative (unwillingly) of the FIlipino community (Think : not even the Philippine Embassy or COnsulate knew BATAD was being shown - how could they let such a thing slip them by!), I felt a responsibility to, well, look for him.
So me and Valentina did! Where do we find Benji?!?! AT the nearest pub! HE was so nervous that he had to drink a bottle of beer first! Truthfully, i wanted to join in! But Valentina was there and so i had to control myself (UHMMMM: A GUINNESS HERE PLEASE!!! ICE COLD!!!)
At the end of it, Benji walked away with many admirers, his film lauded and praised for its simplicity and many funny one-liners. ME? Well, let's just say, at the beginning I was mistaken for the director.... Walking out, everybody was practically staring at me, probably wondering... If he's not the director, could he be the actor?!?!
p.s. sure enough, valentina's friend alessio asked me that question! lol
PICTURES FROM THE PREMIERE NIGHT THAT BATAD, BENJAMIN GARCIA'S FILM, WAS SHOWN AT THE 17TH EDITION OF THE FILM FESTIVAL
director benji garcia with aped and one of the actors in the movie BATAD
