Later today, the local filming crew of the movie Bourne Legacy will start shooting in the heart of Metro Manila. It is a cool bit of fact that is happening now. As we all know, a lot of films have been shot in the Philippines, including Platoon, Apocalypse Now, Brokedown Palace, Man on the Moon, Born in the Fourth of July, American Ninja, The Big Doll House, Too Late the Hero, as well as a number of Chick Norris movies. The fact is, in most of these movies, the locations were made to represent other places, particularly Vietnam, or Bangkok, Thailand, as was the case in Brokedown Palace. Or worse, they’re filming here to make their poverty porn documentaries.
Film crews are coming in the Philippines
As far as I know, this would be the first time that the Philippines urban setting will be filmed as it is, represented as it is. Really big deal,locally. Also, this would be the first time that a foreign film crew has been public about it’s intentions to film in the Philippines. Other times filming has been all hush-hush. Also, they all used to film in the remote villages and jungles in the far provinces. Places so desolate and lonely, there are nothing but trees, or in the case of Ilocos, sand and fields.
For me, this is an awesome opportunity to finally show the world how Manila really looks like. I remember once, back in Yahoo! chat days, most Westerners were amazed to know that I am a Filipina. First, is because I speak (type) English fluently, at times, even better than the others online. Second, they thought that the Philippines is a vast mountainous jungle where people are backward and illiterate. They are so shocked that I can operate a computer, much less chat with them. Some even thought we don’t have electricity yet. I mean, yeah, the Philippines sometimes do get into the international news, but mostly it’s about disasters, natural and political. This is our chance to showcase that we are not a bunch of monkeys swinging from tree to tree but real urbanites that do live in a modern world.
I just hope that when the Bourne film crew and the actors leave the Philippines, they would find us to be accommodating but not servile, friendly but not abusively so. Also, I hope that they would realize that we are not a country where rats and cockroaches are on top of the food chain, though rats may be found somewhere down the line. We’re not a perfect country but we’re doing our best. I hope they appreciate that. XD
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