MANILA, Philippines -- ?Kubrador? was Ralston Jover?s first produced screenplay. At 41, he?s on a roll. He teamed up with Brillante Mendoza on three films: ?Manoro,? ?Foster Child? and ?Tirador.? They all follow the traditions of cinema verité and neorealism that use real time and chronicle events from their starting point.
A marketing graduate, Jover started his writing career as a ?typist.? He recalls: ?Nagta-type ako ng scripts ng friends ko. Gusto ko talagang matutong magsulat kahit walang bayad!? His perseverance paid off when he began writing for television shows like ?Maricel Drama Special,? ?Regal Shocker,? ?Mother Studio Presents,? ?Calvento Files? and ?Lovingly Yours, Helen.?
Style
In 2003, he attended Armando Lao?s scriptwriting workshop at the Mowelfund Film Institute. He shares: ?Bagsak ako palagi! Lahat ng concepts ko, disapproved -- until Bing introduced us to a scriptwriting style that uses real life, time and place. Then, I pitched ?Kubrador.??
Why the interest in jueteng? ?I have a neighbor, Aling Amelita, who collects jueteng payments. I didn?t know how to gamble, so I accompanied her as she went about her business. I studied the mechanics and researched for a month. Hinanap ko ang connection sa politics at social structure natin.?
The first draft of ?Kubrador? was approved without a hitch, but Jover was not content. He discloses, ?I would revise and update the script by going back to Aling Amelita. My excitement grew every time I would visit her. Even during shooting, I continued to revise. Nakababad ako sa set -- I was excited because it was my first time. So, kahit puyat, I stayed and saw my characters come to life!? ?Kubrador? has gone to 50 film festivals and won awards.
Inspiration
Jover gets his inspiration from news programs and documentaries he watches on TV. The concept of ?Manoro? came from a ?TV Patrol? segment. He pitched it to Mendoza and then, they rushed to the site to shoot in real time; dialogue was improvised. The movie is about an Aeta teacher who teaches her community to read and write, using the local elections as its backdrop. The film won the Jury Prize at the Torino film fest.
The idea of ?Foster Child? came from Kara David?s ?I-Witness? story on foster families. ?Robbie Tan was looking for a project, so I suggested it to him. I did three months of research with adoptive families and social workers. I wrote the script in one week.
When Cannes programmer Jeremy Segáy came here, he sat through a preview even without subtitles. After two weeks, he called to tell us that the film was going to be included in the Director?s Fortnight section.?
Dream
Presently, Jover is part of ABS-CBN?s Creative Monitoring Development Group. His dream is to write for a TV documentary show.
?I consider myself a realist. I seek social relevance in my work. If someone asks me to write about romance and fantasy, forget it! My heart -- as well as talent -- isn?t in them!,? he chuckles.
Jover just finished writing ?Tirador? starring Coco Martin and Jiro Manio, a multicharacter film about Quiapo snatchers. He beams: ?Ito ang klase ng pelikula na gusto kong gawin. It?s difficult to do, but that?s what makes it exciting!?
