Film director Carlo Ledesma wanted to reach a new generation of horror fans with Sunod, which marks his feature directorial debut. The horror drama also serves as his love letter for the Call Center industry, which, according to him, remains a strong contributor to the country’s economy.
“ We wanted to honor this generation in terms of what they are doing for our country. So from logistics to terminology, we tried to be authentic. The film wanted to kind of honor the generation that it caters to,” Ledesma, who co-wrote the Metro Manila Film Festival 2016 entry Saving Sally and directed the 2007 Cannes Film Festival Mini Movie Channel Award for Best Short Film The Haircut, told the press during the films media launch last week.
“It’s a next generation horror film because hopefully we could get new horror fans. As you know in MMFF, there are kids that come in to watch the movies. I grew up being a horror fan, so hopefully, we could encourage more audience to watch horror films like this. My dream is for the young generation to appreciate the horror genre,” he added.
More than a scream fest, Sunod also tackles intriguing issues.
“The film shows a modern-day profession amid an old structure so the result is a more interesting and atmospheric setting,” explained Ledesma
In the process, the young director uncovers the unique world of the Business Process Outsource (BPO) industry.
“Sunod is an exploration of the mental state that call center operators go through,” he shared.
Sunod, a Ten17P and Globe Studios coproduction is described by Ledesma as a chilling film that combines the thrill of technology and the mystery of tradition.
In the movie, which an official entry to the MMFF 2019, stars Carmina Villarroel with Mylene Dizon, Freddie Webb, Susan Africa, Kate Alejandrino, Krystal Brimner, Rhed Bustamante, and JC Santos completing the cast.
In the film, Carmina plays a single mother named Olivia who accepts a high-paying but demanding job at a call center so she could pay for her sick daughter’s medical expenses. The new office is located in an old building in Manila. As Olivia tries to adjust to the strange environment, she also experiences a series of spookyy events.
When the pressures mount and affect her daughter’s behavior, Olivia is forced to uncover the mystery behind the office walls.
“She’s someone who will do anything to keep her child alive,” Carmina said of her character.
Carmina is very at home in the genre since she’s starred in Shake, Rattle & Roll XI, Shake Rattle & Roll II, Regal Shocker, Tiyanak and many other horror flicks.
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Kate Valdez returns on ‘iBilib’
This week on iBilib, young actress Kate Valdez returns to the program with wonder boy Raph Landicho in tow. They cooperate with host Chris Tiu, and James & Roadfill in producing a dynamic lava lamp-like display out of mint candies dropped in a vat of oil and dark soda in one of the show’s science experiments.
They also see the wondrous effect of light refraction which magically turns a colored illustration into black and white.
In “Bilibabols,” two teams race in decorating a Christmas tree, using Christmas balls passed relay-style via bowls on their heads.
Meanwhile, the “Street Genius” team discovers the outcome of making a kerosene-filled can spin fast within a chamber, as well as the result of dropping antacid into hydrochloric acid, to illustrate how our stomach works.
Lastly, in “Huling Hirit,” the gang makes a Christmas stocking from an old jute sack as the latest addition to the Christmas décor-making tradition.
All these on GMA this Sunday morning on iBilib.