How low can an innocent young man go as he confronts his dark destiny?
Sheron Dayoc’s film, The Gospel of the Beast which opened the 20th edition of Cinemalaya at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay, tries to answer this question and succeeds in doing a visually arresting dark transformation of a young man in an otherwise idyllic environment.
Mateo (played by Jansen Magpusao) is typical of barrio teenager reared by a poor but caring family.
He was reared to care for younger siblings but something in his father’s past and his father’s good friend (Ronnie Lazaro) led to discovery of another world that he could not comprehend.
Indeed, he ended up descending into another version of Maxi Gorky’s Lower Depths.
If Gorky’s characters had that flophouse, Dayoc’s characters are defined in a slaughter house captured by excellent cinematography by Rommel Andreo Sales.
It is easy to see that good cinematography did good justice to the main character played by a highly sensitive Magpusao. The close ups and the long shots are virtual windows into the psyche of Mateo’s soul.
Delivering an equally searing performance is Ronnie Lazaro fronting as Mateo’s “uncle” who turned out to be his late father’s good friend.
The Gospel of the Beast is a grim portrait of rural young men drawn into violence by poverty.
Sayoc’s directorial savvy matched Magpusao’s delineation of Mateo’s character.
Moreover, you hear a familiar folksong in the gang’s drinking scenes enough to let you know the story has a Visayan rural setting.
The Gospel of the Beast delivers with a competent filmmaking team composed of producers, Bridget Ting, Kelvin Ting, Sheron Dayoc, Sonny Calvento and Arden Rod Condez. Len Calvo is an ideal music scorer whose music didn’t interfere but actually enhance the film’s story. One finds it well edited and the credit goes to Lawrence Ang.
Gospel of the Beast was shot entirely in Western Visayas (Iloilo and Antique) and was an attraction in the Czech Republic for the world’s oldest film festival the Zlin Film Festival now on its 64th year.
It was shown in the section International Film Festival for Children and Youth which showcased around 300 films from over 50 countries worldwide, drawing an attendance of over 100,000 children and adults since 2010. The Sheron Dayoc film was part of the festival’s “Beyond the Childhood Horizon” section.
Dayoc got the idea for the project when he went home to his native Zamboanga for a vacation. “I casually met with my friends and relatives. But one afternoon, much to my surprise, someone close to my family shared his deep dark secret. He candidly shared with me that until he started working for our family, he used to be a hired killer for a vigilante group in my hometown. According to him, it all started when he accidentally killed his high school classmate during a fight. He was able to run away—only to be eventually trapped in the world of the syndicate. I was startled to hear of this. I have known this man all my life as someone caring and loving. I never would have thought that he’d experienced such things. After that long conversation, we never spoke about it again. I asked myself then and there why he suddenly entrusted his story to me. But his life story is as important as those of the iconic people we have gotten to know in books or TV. His story inspired me to write and develop Gospel of the Beast as a coming-of-age film about a young boy’s journey into beasthood.”
The role was not written for Magpusao.
“When we developed the script, we didn’t have a specific actor in mind. Our priority was creating a character that authentically serves the story’s purpose. Jansen’s character Mateo and his world were crafted to reflect truth and create a believable persona on paper,” Dayoc related.
She said during the casting process, Jansen went through the same audition as everyone else, but ultimately landed the lead role of Mateo due to his remarkable tenderness and deeply rooted emotions, essential traits for the character. “As the director, I firmly believe Jansen embodies the essence of Mateo—a gentle gaze, a robust physique, and a juxtaposition of vulnerability and strength that resonates with the film’s themes. I believe it is important to continue discussing violence in cinema, as it mirrors the current social environment of many countries, including the Philippines. Rather than denying it, we should admit and recognize that this is what is happening now. In doing so, it may even help shed light on why such a culture of violence persists and why it is embraced. I hope this film will help the audience transcend to a greater consciousness of the terrible consequences of tolerating or being silent towards the growing acts of violence around us.”
Having observed and worked closely with Jansen in John Denver Trending when he was only 15, Dayoc noticed a significant transformation, since his role in the short film Dandansoy and now in The Gospel of the Beast. “Beyond his instinctive and natural talent for acting, I believe that as he matures, he has gained a deeper understanding of life, encompassing both its struggles and joys. As a director, I see this maturity contributing to his profound connection with the character Mateo. Jansen’s performance is rooted in truth and authenticity, not merely from a conscious effort to act but as an expression of his deep-seated emotions. This is why he comes across as so genuine—tender yet tough—as Hollywood Reporter noted in the film.”-
(For its 20th year, the Cinemalaya Main Competition jury includes critic, creative writer, and academic Nicanor Tiongson, renowned actress Dolly de Leon, Berlinale film curator Nicola Marzano, multi – awarded director/editor / composer/writer Jerrold Tarog, and Founder / Festival Director of the Dhaka International Film Festival Ahmed Muztaba Zamal. Here are the 10 full-length Cinemalaya films competing for the Best Film Balanghai Trophy :“Alipato at Muog” by JL Burgos
Screening schedule: August 4 – Greenbelt 3, 8:30 p.m.; UP Town Center, 8:30 p.m. August 6 – Ayala Malls Manila Bay, 5:30 p.m.
August 7 – Market Market, 11 a.m.; Trinoma, 11 a.m.
August 8 – Greenbelt 3, 5 p.m.; UP Town Center, 5 p.m., Ayala Malls Manila Bay, 2:30 p.m.
August 9 – Greenbelt 3, 8:30 p.m.; UP Town Center 8:30 p.m. August 11 – Market Market, 2 p.m.; Trinoma, 4 p.m.
“Tumandok” by Arlie Sweet Sumagaysay and Richard Jeroui Salvadico, a film by the Ati people of Sitio Kabarangkalan, this entry puts the spotlight on the unheard stories of displacement and violence experienced by the Ati community on what is supposed to be their own land. Screening schedule: August 4 – Ayala Malls Manila Bay, 8:30 p.m. August 5 – Market Market, 5 p.m.; Trinoma, 5 p.m. August 6 – Greenbelt 3, 5 p.m.; UP Town Center, 5 p.m. August 8 – Market Market, 11 a.m.; Trinoma, 11 a.m.; Ayala Malls Manila Bay, 5:30 p.m.
August 10 – Market Market, 2 p.m.; Trinoma, 2 p.m.
August 11 – Greenbelt 3, 8:30 p.m.; UP Town Center, 8:30 p.m. “Love Child” by Jonathan Jurilla.Based on a Palanca Award-winning script by director Jonathan Jurilla, Screening schedule: August 5 – Market Market, 2 p.m.; Trinoma, 2 p.m.; Ayala Malls Manila Bay, 5:30 p.m. August 6 – Market Market, 5p.m.; Trinoma, 5 p.m.
August 7 – Greenbelt 3, 5 p.m.; UP Town Center, 5 p.m.
August 8 – Ayala Malls Manila Bay, 8:30 p.m.
August 9 – Market Market, 8:30 p.m.; Trinoma, 8:30 p.m.
August 10 – Greenbelt 3, 8:30 p.m.; UP Town Center, 8:30 p.m.)