Filipino actor JC Santos in Qatar to film OFW movie "The Eventologist". Pic by Salim Matramkot/ The Peninsula
Doha: Lights are set, and cameras are rolling as much sought-after Filipino actor JC Santos plays the lead character, Oscar Yema, which is named and based after the writer-director of the film who is a long time Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) in Qatar.
In an exclusive interview, JC Santos spoke about working on a film project for the first time with fellow 'kababayans' abroad, while also looking forward to some cultural experiences in the country.
During his first-ever visit to the Middle East, he hopes to visit Qatar's famous sand dunes, go off-roading, and taste various cuisines.
“I heard about camping and barbeque in the middle of the desert. And until now I'm still curious, I would love to do that. We'll see if we're going to have enough time,” Santos told The Peninsula.
He will be staying in Qatar for his sixth international film, "The Eventologist", a two-hour-long movie inspired by real events which will tell the story of an OFW who organizes local large-scale concerts featuring the Philippines’ top-rated artists. The documentary drama will include real footage of past events along with the principal photography currently being filmed in Doha.
JC Santos behind the scenes during the filming of "The Eventologist".
“Aside from the fact that the material is new, I have never actually worked with fellow ‘kababayans’ outside the country for a film,” JC Santos told The Peninsula.
With the accumulated effort of Filipino crews in Doha to make the project happen, he realized that: “I can learn something from them and they can learn something from me. It’s gonna be a give and take thing when it comes to acting so it’s a new experience for me.. It’s a new country.”
The filming for the movie officially kicked off on March 11 and the Filipino actor talked about his mindset before the first day of the shoot and preparations to take on the lead role for the movie.
“On all first days of shooting, I’m always nervous because this is the first time that I’m gonna try to figure it out on camera,” Santos explained.
“..I’m gonna try to figure out the character, how he’s gonna move, how he’s gonna talk, the whole process of it,” he continued.
The writer-director, Oscar de Jesus Yema (left), in action during filming of "The Eventologist".
The 33-year-old actor, known for his role in films like “100 Tula Para Kay Stella”, the Philippine remake of Miracle in Cell No. 7, and “The Day After Valentine’s”, mentioned that his performance for the role is rooted from his experience as an OFW in Hong Kong and Singapore during his early years.
He affirmed that this experience is a key tool in his arsenal to reflect the resilience of the character emphasized in the movie and staying anchored in the idea of survival to keep a livelihood that sustains a family back home.
“Being an OFW before was a big help because I feel like I won’t be able to do this if I didn’t have that experience,” Santos said.
Panning the camera from reel to real, The Peninsula also spoke with the man behind the film and the lead character of the movie, writer-director Oscar de Jesus Yema.
Explaining the project, he said: “The Eventologist is a movie for all of the OFW worldwide made by 100% cast and crew of OFWs in Doha, Qatar including our lead star, JC Santos.”
“This is our way of entertaining them with a relevant world class movie that will uplift the image of Filipino expats abroad,” he added.
The film will showcase the true resilience of OFWs when it comes to overcoming the “trials of this world”, in reference to the English translation for the movie’s official theme song, “Hamon ng Mundo” sang by renowned Filipino singer, Yeng Constantino.
Although the film mainly features Filipino professional workers, he further elaborated that expatriates of other nationalities, in Qatar and around the globe, can also relate to this story as its theme speaks a global language of love for family, perseverance, and fulfilling dreams.
Scenic shots of several iconic places, such as Qatar's prominent skyline, will also be captured in the film as he aims to highlight the beauty of Qatar.
To a question why he chose JC Santos to embody his character, he explained that it is because of the actor’s previous work in indie films which is in line with the movie and found out much later of his experience as a theatre actor overseas.
Apart from a succesful filming of the movie, the writer-director also aims to pitch "The Eventologist" for the Ajyal Film Festival this year for its premiere in Doha in November and show it to the viewers in Manila in December. As an alternative, he mentioned that commercial cinemas will also be rented out to screen the movies for fellow 'kababayans' in Qatar.
By this year until 2023, “The Eventologist” will be available for online streaming through the website of Advocacy Global Studios, its official platform and a Filipino production company based in Doha.
Sharing a few words for Filipinos in Qatar and on what they can look forward to in the movie, JC Santos said: “We have a tagline here that we always say, even for me as a theatre actor, ‘the show must go on’ despite what you’re going through… everybody should always move forward so keep moving forward.”
“The show must go on always,” JC Santos concluded.
