MANILA, Philippines—“The want the word ‘deaf’ written with a capital D. They find the terms ‘hearing impaired’ and ‘bingi’ offensive. They don’t like being stared at. And they appreciate music.”

All these, award-winning filmmaker Mike Sandejas told Inquirer Entertainment, he learned while writing and filming his new full-length feature, “Dinig Sana Kita (If I Knew What You Said),” about the struggles of a deaf boy.

The movie is an official entry to the 2009 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, which runs from July 17 to 26 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Pasay City.

Difficult subject

“Deaf people want respect. Many consider them inferior, so they fight back by creating awareness about their situation,” said Sandejas.

People close to him advised Sandejas against doing the film because of the “difficult” subject. “I’m not sure how this movie will be received. I’m just offering an alternative,” the director said. Sandejas earlier megged “Tulad ng Dati,” which won the Cinemalaya Best Film Award in 2006.

“Dinig Sana Kita” is the love story of a deaf boy (Romalito Mallari) who loves to dance and a troubled rocker girl (Zoe Sandejas) who abuses her hearing. Crossing paths in a Baguio camp that mixes deaf and hearing kids, they find that they have many things in common, including a love for music.

The film is inspired by the story of Sandejas’ friend, who works as a special educator for deaf people. “He tries to bridge the gap between deaf and hearing people,” the director said. “I thought of making him play himself in the movie, but he’s a very private person.”

A friend’s story

“Dinig Sana Kita” is the first Filipino film to have a deaf actor in the lead role. Mallari has acted in several theater productions and is a trained dancer in both modern and classical styles. “I’m amazed by Rome’s (Mallari's nickname) life story. It’s as if I made the film for him.”

The other deaf actors in the movie are Bronson Escalderon, Cathy Joy Patriarca and Jayjay Sunico; and dancers from Dulaang Tahimik ng Pilipinas (DTP) and DLSU-CSB Silent Steps Dance Troupe. Playing the heroine is Sandejas’ daughter Zoe, who debuted in “Tulad ng Dati.”

It was tough researching and writing the story, admitted Sandejas. “The deaf culture is so different from the norm. I have deaf people as advisers. Being with them changes your perspective. You realize that they are capable of doing so much— and most of us are not aware of it.”

Tight budget

Sandejas added that working on a tight budget is also proving to be a challenge. “Most of the scenes were shot in Baguio. It’s problematic, logistically. Fortunately, I met a lot of kind people there who let me shoot for free. Nabuo na lang basta.”

Does he feel he should top the success of “Tulad ng Dati?” “I try not to think about the awards derby just yet. Magagaling ang mga kalaban. But I can say I'm proud to be in this year’s batch,” he said.

Rock musicians Marc Lopez, JJ Lacson, Wilf Trinidad and Sugarfree are also featured in this movie. Sandejas is also a finalist (“What Floor Ma’am?”) in the Cinemalaya 2009 short feature category.

Email mcruz@inquirer.com.ph