On August 7, TBA Studios released an exclusive clip of their upcoming historical drama, Quezon, during the Rolling Stone Philippines’ State of Affairs event at Sine Pop, Quezon City.
Quezon stars Jericho Rosales as the former Philippine president Manuel Quezon, following his life as a lawyer and soldier prior to entering the world of politics. The historical drama completes TBA Studios’ Bayaniverse series, a cinematic franchise revolving around major figures in Philippine history. Its earlier films, Heneral Luna and Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral, centered on General Antonio Luna (John Arcilla) and Gregorio del Pilar (Paulo Avelino), respectively.
Attendees of the live event were given the opportunity to view the exclusive screening of the clip. Although the clip won’t be made available to the public just yet, Quezon producer Daphne Chiu-Soon emphasized that the film sees the Bayaniverse taking a different approach to storytelling. “Quezon is a bit different from the other two [movies],” Chiu-Soon told Rolling Stone Philippines. “It’s not a war film. Heneral Luna and Goyo are situated in the 1890s. This time, we see a man trying to spearhead the independence of the Philippines.”
“The action here is not the action scenes,” added Chiu-Soon. “It’s the action of the narrative. It’s a political narrative. Politics is its own war, let’s be honest. It’s just a different kind of war.”
The producer also emphasized how Quezon continues to explore director Jerrold Tarog’s vision for the films of the Bayaniverse, all of which he directed. “[Tarog] has always had this ambition of humanizing these so-called heroes who are always, nowadays, parang put on a pedestal: they’re monuments,” said Chiu-Soon. “But the recurring theme is for us to question if these protagonists are heroes ba talaga or not. Quezon really gives us the space to question leadership and to spark critical thinking after you watch it.”
Special thanks to ZYN. With special participation from H2V2 Catering and Manila Craft Mixes & Brews.
