VETERAN director Mac Alejandre cannot be any happier that his latest film project, ‘Isang Gabi,’ written by National Artist Ricky Lee, merited a cinematic release starting May

“Matagal na ‘tong Isang Gabi,” direk Mac said. “Kasabay pa ‘to ng Silip sa Apoy (2022). Marami kaming mga concept ni Ricky Lee na na-approved na pero naka stop pa at marami pang unang nagawa.

“Isa itong Isang Gabi na pinaka-gusto naming konsepto. Ang original nito was streaming. But when we pitched it to Boss Vic (Del Rosario), he immediately told us, hindi ito pang-streaming. Cinema release ito.

“Maghintay tayo ng magandang casting. Hindi kami nag-cast agad. When Boss Vic told us cinema release ito, may iba muna akong ginawa. That’s why it took long. Until late last year when we had a meeting.”

It took quite a while before lead stars Diego Loyzaga and Coleen Garcia gave their nod to do the film. The pair was suggested by Boss Vic to direk Mac.

“I was open to the cast,” direk Mac said. “If I have hesitations, I was also very open to that. I haven’t worked with both Diego and Coleen yet. We had several meetings until they said yes.”

Ricky agreed that it took quite a while before the film started its principal photography. “I think perfect si Coleen,” he said.

“We really wanted to make a film na dalawang tao lang na parang Before Sunrise,” said direk Mac. “Pero alam namin na mahirap gawin ‘yun sa Pilipinas na dalawang tao lang.

“We wanted to do a romantic film na maraming elements ng anti-romance. The characters met in one night in a bar. The story starts from there.”

The casting for Isang Gabi started late last year and pre-production happened in February. Direk Mac started filming in March this year.

It helped that Diego and Coleen are good friends in real life for a long time, because Diego and Coleen’s husband, Billy Crawford, are close friends, even before.

“Kanya-kanya kaming creative process,” said Direk Mac. “Ang lagi kong sinasabi sa artista ko, ang pag-aaral, laging before the shoot. When you start shooting, dapat relax ka na.

“Coleen is very studious. She does her homework before going to the set. She prepares for everything. I always tell her to relax. It took a while before she starts getting into the groove.

“There are artists who temper their acting. When I tell her, Coleen kulang. She will give some more. When she sometimes gives more, I tell her, Coleen, sobra. Bawas tayo. The first day or two, we were like that. Nag-aadjust pa kami.”

Direk Mac attested the roles given to Diego and Coleen in Isang Gabi are really difficult. “Mahirap na mahirap ang roles nila,” said the director.

Diego plays a literature professor (Dindo), while Coleen essays a rich housewife and a failed business woman (Karla).

“They were saying something in the dialogue, when, in fact, only ten percent ang nangyayari. Ang totoo, ‘yung hindi sinasabi. Love story ang kwento but it’s anti-romance.

“Ang daming secrets revealed every time. Everything happened in one night. Isang Gabi talaga. They fell in love. Actually, the whole time frame is less than 12 hours. But the whole story revolves in a year. May backstory pa.

“But from the meeting of the leads to the end, it happened at night until before sunrise. That was how Ricky (Lee) started the story. It was really about two people only.”

For every ten films of Direk Mac, nine films are written by Ricky, while there is only one that he wrote. Every year, Direk Mac and Ricky spent time in the latter’s hometown in Daet, Camarines Norte.

“We would spend one week there and dedicate two days to brainstorming,” says Direk Mac. “When he returned to Manila, we finished seven to eight concepts. Those are the projects we pitched to Viva.”

“Isang Gabi” is direk Mac’s first film project for 2024. He pitched it to Viva two years ago. To follow this one is a period film about World War II. Bodabil will be part of the story.

“Marami kaming ginagawa ni Ricky na nagsisimula lang sa diskusyon,” Direk Mac attested. “Hanggang sa maging pelikula. It’s about a bodabil performer, Hukbalahap and a collaborator of the Japanese. It happened one year before the war, peace time.”

Direk Mac refuses to make films in his comfort zone. “Kaya laging mahirap ang ginagawa ko, paiba-iba, if you notice. Bakit ako gagawa ng pareho? Asahan niyo, ang mga pelikulang gagawin ko, laging mahirap.”

Direk Mac is also slated to make ‘Love Letters,’ a “beautiful, beautiful love story” of Ricky Lee. “It’s similar to Somewhere in Time na nag-level up,” he offered. “It’s done in present day.”