Veteran actor Tony Boy dela Rea is starring in a new movie entitled “Paghilom, The Movie.”
Dela Rea, who has worked with seasoned director Elwood Perez during 70s and 80s, is also producing the film along with his sister Avelina Dela Rea, former Commissioner of the Professional Regulation Commission.
They have set up a new movie outfit called Cine Silang and their initial offering talks about Filipinos’ highly valued family bonds.
“Our parents and siblings can be a source of strength and a shelter to go to during troubled times. For many, the dream of providing a better future for their family is one of the driving factors to succeed in life. Another powerful factor is the dream to maintain family tradition as to a chosen profession,” said Tony Boy.
He said many of these bonds can also become a shackle that could limit the potential of people.
“There are children who are forced into a career that they did not want, but do it to please their parents even if it is against their will. They suffer silently as they have to obey their parents, especially their father. Others who choose to live their lives by their own rules pay the price of cutting relations with their family, some permanently,” he added.
Tony will play Alfon in the movie, which tackles the dynamics of the conflicts in the family; the domineering role of a father; the series of tragedies that happened to his two beloved sons; and the personal and emotional struggle between the husband and wife.
Traditional Filipino parents tend to be overprotective of their children to the point that they take control of their lives. As a result, some kids are left with no choice but to reluctantly follow their father’s dictates so as to maintain peace in the family.
That is where the film will revolve.
Jane Umali will play Ophel, the submissive wife, The couple has two grown-up sons, named Mark (played by Piolo Broso) and Rene Boy (played by Joshua de Guzman).
Mark was to become a soldier as dictated by Alfon. Rene is the family rebel who went to Manila to be independent and pursue his own dreams.
The movie also features Azenith Briones who played, Jenny, Ophel’s good friend. Bridge Romero played Dr. Bong Guinto, Jenny’s husband.
Lance Raymundo played the role of Dr. Marco Guevarra, a friend of Dr. Bong Guinto who referred Dr. Guevarra to Alfon and Ophel.
He played a pivotal role in finding a way for Alfon and Ophel to overcome their grief and start their journey of healing.
According to Raymundo, his background as a biology student during his college years helped him internalize the role of being a doctor and explain matters such as finding the DNA of a child even when a parent died a long time ago.
Sharmaine Suarez played Anna, the mystery woman in the life of Mark, while Genesis Esguerra played the boy who changed everything in Alfon’s life and his family.
There are so many twists and turns in this movie that makes it extremely interesting and exciting to the viewers.
“We want our audience to appreciate their family more after watching this film. This is a feel-good movie that aims to highlight that there will always be ways to heal as long as we learn to forgive. It is a hard lesson we all have to learn,” Tony Boy said.
The film was shot in Silang, Cavite, where the Dela Rea Family traces its roots with the goal of showcasing the beauty of the town, especially their ancestral home and the resort that they built where much of the shooting was done.
It also features one of the oldest churches in the Philippines with a white marble retablo, the only retablo built by Jesuits in the Philippines and the second oldest retablo in the country.
The movie was directed by Tejay Gonzales with Lala Servano as the assistant director. Paghilom is rated General Patronage and is to be shown in selected theatres nationwide.