ONE of the films that recently became a top-notch favorite on Netflix lately is director Benedict Mique’s heartwarming drama, Lolo and the Kid, that stars veteran actor Joel Torre and award-winning child star Euwenn Mikael.

Euwann was the lead in the Metro Manila Film Festival’s (MMFF) award-winning drama by director Zig Dulay, Firefly.

“When Euwann auditioned for Lolo and the Kid, the boy was a stand-out,” shared direct Benedict. Concept, script and direction are by Benedict.

“There’s no gamble in the project. That makes Netflix advantageous to any creator because you will not lose anything.”

Joel was director Benedict’s choice from the get-go. “When I first presented the story to Netflix, I already brought up the name of Joel Torre to play the lead and they didn’t have any qualms,” direct Benedict said. “They immediately said ‘Go’.”

When Joel required for a copy of the script to be sent to his manager, June Rufino, direct Benedict readily did the request.

“Tita June said she would get back to me. When JT (Joel Torre) said yes, I was really very glad. I guess that’s the advantage of real actors. After they read the material, they know it’s good.

“I had a similar experience with the late Eddie Garcia when we did ML (Martial Law). After he read the script, he was even the one who called me up and said, ‘Let’s do this.”

Eleven-year-old Euwann, meanwhile, was similarly a standout for Lolo and the Kid. “We had two days of auditions for the child who would play the kid,” shared direct Benedict. “We auditioned quite a lot. But when Euwann came out, we knew he was it.

“Stand out talaga ‘yung bata. He was very good. When he interacted with his fellow actors, kaya niya. Binantayan ko lang. I watched his previous performances in other films, especially in Firefly. I wanted to see his weakness.”

Joel, meanwhile, needed to be guided simply on his characterization. “We talked about it,” said direct Benedict. “All of my films are like that. May session that the actors need to go through. I open up what the actors need to know about their characters.

“I feel that I had to explain the character to them before we even get to start filming. So the stars need to know where they will start with the character they are portraying.

We talk about the characterization. Veterans ask the right questions.

Joel’s character starts the story from the time he was seven years old who was left in Paco (Manila) and never found his way home. He grew up in the streets. He didn’t know how to read and write. He learned the hustle in the streets.

Lolo and the Kid became No. 1 for two weeks on Netflix and is still showing. The story started from the time direct Benedict was young boy living in Paco and he saw his mom looking at a father and child living in a cart along the street.

“That was my inspiration for Lolo and the Kid,” the director shared.

Another inspiration was the street people who don’t know how to read and write, according to direct Benedict.

In his Momol Nights (2019), direct Benedict was asked to choose between female leads Kim Molina and another actress (Maja Salvador) for the lead role. He chose Kim, a simple but quirky girl for whom the role of Peng fits perfectly.

Playing cameo roles in Lolo and the Kid are Iza Calzado, Shaina Magdayao, Alfred Vargas, Meryll Soriano, Joem Bascon, Markki Stroem, Nico Antonio and JK Labajo.

“They are not really top actors,” said direct Benedict. “So they will not really look distracting in the scenes. They are celebrities, but they appearance is light when you see them in the scenes. You will see there are really no small roles, only small actors.

JK Labajo is really good and knows his role very well. He works, reads the script and studies his role.

“While we were shooting, I instructed JK to allow the moment to sink in to him and his role,” said direct Benedict. “He’s really good.

“Si Euwenn, binantayan ko lang ang mata kasi malikot. I instructed him to face his co-star and interact. He has a natural charm.

“Young actors tend not to interact. They simply memorize their lines. They should know how to interact with their co-stars. You will know kung may utak talaga ang artista.”

After Joem Bascon read the script, he gave his nod right away for the role in Lolo and the Kid.

“Hindi naman lahat pera lang,” direct Benedict said. “Joem immediately said, ‘Pasok kami.’ He stars with real-life partner Meryll Soriano. Sometimes you just have to look for the right role, the right project, the right participation.”

Lolo and the Kid was filmed in January and February this year. “But there was a lot of pre-production as early as November and December last year,” said direct Benedict.

“That early, we knew all the locations.”

AUTHOR PROFILE

Leah C. Salterio