LOS ANGELES, California—Actress Marife Necesito and two child actors, Martin de los Santos and Jan David Nicdao, are flying to Berlin to attend the 2009 Berlinale screening of their film “Mammoth,” which is in main competition.

Berlinale, also known as the Berlin International Film Festival, is one of the world’s top 10 film festivals.

“Mammoth,” the English language debut of acclaimed Swedish director Lukas Moodysson, stars Gael Garcia Bernal and Michelle Williams as a successful New York couple whose daughter (played by Sophie Nyweide) spends most of her time with her Filipino nanny, Gloria (Marife). Back in the Philippines, Gloria’s family, especially her two sons (Martin and Jan), struggle to deal with her absence. A business trip by Gael’s website creator character to Thailand sets off a chain of events that provides the crux of the movie.

Lukas, who also wrote “Mammoth,” has described it as “a film about families, about parents and children … and how all of us on this planet are interconnected with each other, whether we like it or not … ”

“Mammoth,” a Swedish-German-Danish co-production, was shot by Lukas in the Philippines, US, Thailand and Sweden. The cast also features Filipino thespians Perry Dizon and Maria Esmeralda “Chiqui” del Carmen as Gloria’s brother and mother, respectively.

Marife traveled to New York to shoot scenes with Gael, Michelle, Sophie and some Filipino-American actors in small roles. But the New York indoor scenes were done in Sweden. Michelle was on the Sweden set of “Mammoth” when her ex-boyfriend, Heath Ledger, died of an accidental drug overdose in New York. Marife said in a previous interview that among her fondest memories of the Sweden shoot was having breakfast with Michelle and her daughter with Heath, Matilda.

Grieving actress

In our recent interview via e-mail, Marife recalled her first encounter with Michelle when the grieving actress went back to work: “Nasa New York na kami nang nagkita kami ulit ni Michelle. Mga one week lang po ata, sa pagkakatanda ko, nagresume na po uli ng shoot si Michelle, ako and Sophie …Nang magkita po kami uli sa loob ng trailer van, at nagtama ang mga mata namin, hindi na po ako nakapagsalita. Nagyakapan na lang po kaming dalawa ng mahigpit, sabay bigay ko ng stuffed toy sa kanya. Sabi ko, ‘For Matilda,’ at nag smile po siya sa akin sabay yakap uli niya at nagpasalamat. Kahit po sa napakaliit na bagay, sanay napagaan ko kahit sandali ang loob niya sa mga sandaling yun.”

Marife’s frequent use of “po” reminded us of Ate Guy. “Excited din po akong mapanood ang pelikula namin at masasabi ko po na ang bahagi ng pelikulang ito na kung saan umikot ang istorya ng pamilya ko sa Pilipinas ay isa sa mga highlights na aabangan sa pelikula.”

She confirmed: “Opo, ito po yung first attendance ko sa film festival na kasama ako sa movie. Nakarating din po ako with Kuya Perry Dizon sa opening ng Goteborg Film Festival last February 2008, na kung saan po nag debut ang ‘Deficit’ na first directorial job ni Gael at ang retro ng kanyang mga previous films as an actor. Parang suporta po namin kay Gael nung mga panahon na yun. Nadiscover din po ni Kuya Perry na palabas din pala for exhibition sa Goteborg yung Lav Diaz film na kasama siya na ‘Heremias, Book One.’ ”

Both Marife and Perry were filming “Mammoth” in Sweden when they attended the Goteborg Film Festival last year to honor their co-star, Gael.

“Mammoth” is competing against 25 other films in this year’s Berlinale, which runs from Feb. 5 to 15. Heading the jury is Tilda Swinton, who won the Oscar Best Supporting Actress award last year for “Michael Clayton.”

“Nag-premiere na po sa Stockholm, Sweden yung film namin last Jan. 21,” Marife informed us. The official screening of “Mammoth” at the Berlinale will be on Feb. 8, according to the actress.

Martin de los Santos, who is 9 years old, might be one of the youngest, if not the youngest, Filipino actor to attend an international film festival in an official capacity. Jan David Nicdao, on the other hand, is 12.

Perry was invited to attend the screening of Lav Diaz’s “Melancholia” (where the actor has one of the lead roles) at the Rotterdam International Film Festival but he didn’t make it. As we write this, Perry was scrambling to put his Germany visa papers in order so he can join Marife and company at the Berlinale.

‘Let’s begin!’

Asked for his own take on the “Mammoth” shoot, Perry answered, “I had a very good experience working with the Swedish and Danish team shooting here in the Philippines. They were the coolest people I’ve ever worked with. Our set was so serene. The director didn’t shout ‘Action!’ but simply said, ‘Let’s begin.’ And shooting in Sweden was a perfect vacation!”

He described his character as “a good-for-nothing uncle who is still living with his mother and adds misery to the family because he does not have a job.”

Perry, who also starred in another Lav Diaz film, “Death in the Land of Encantos,” commented on the Philippines’ expanding presence in film fests: “The increasing number of Filipino participation in the international film festival scene is a sign that we Filipinos have a lot of stories to tell. We have a well of stories and interesting subject matter just waiting to be tapped.”

E-mail the columnist at rvnepales_5585@yahoo.com and read his blog, “The Nepales Report,” on http://blogs.inquirer.net/nepalesreport.