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PEDRO CALUNGSOD, BATANG MARTIR
SYNOPSIS:
Pedro Calungsod, a young Filipino man, leaves his Visayan native roots to join the Spanish Jesuit priest Father Diego de San Vitores in his mission to the Marianas Islands (Guam) in 1668. The San Diego Mission arrives in the Marianas where the young Pedro, a trained catechist and mission assistant, begins working for Father Diego de San Vitores in baptizing the Chamorro natives, preaching the holy gospel and spreading the good news of salvation through the Christian faith amidst paganism, doubt and disbelief.
Despite the longing for his father and the threats to their lives, even at the peril of death, Pedro and Father Diego continued their missionary work. They roamed the dangerous islands and baptized many more natives and continued to enlighten them about Christianity. Guam is now a devoutly Catholic state and this is the story of how the young Filipino saint, between wars and persecutions, played his part in this divine mission.
LENGTH: 107 minutes
YEAR PRODUCED: 2013
CLASSIFICATION: Parental Guidance
CAST: Rocco Nacino, Christian Vazquez, Robert Correa, Ryan Eigenmann, and Jestoni Alarcon, with Carlo Gonzales, Mercedes Cabral, Alvin Aragon, Victor Basa, Mico Palanca, Arthur Solinap, Cholo Barretto, Geoff Taylor, Johan Santos, Juancho Triviño, BJ Forbes, Isadora Valasquez, Migui Moreno, Johnron Tañada, and Marc Justine Alvarez
CREW:
Writer and Director – Francis O. Villacorta
Production – Wings Entertainment of an HPI Synergy Group Presentation
Executive Producers – Ida Tiongson, Will Fredo, Charles Lee
Producer – Francis O. Villacorta
Assistant Director – Alejandro Mirasol Ramos
Cinematographers – Steven Flor, Dexter Dela Peña, Randy Cura
Associate Producers – Glenda Villacorta, Mell T. Navarro
Editor – Tara Illenberger
Production Designer – Arthur Nicdao
Musical Scorer – Noel Espenida
Sound Engineer – Albert Michael Idioma
Production Manager – Perry Escaño
Assistant to the Director – Eldrin Veloso
GENRE: Religious historical epic drama
LANGUAGE: Filipino and Spanish (with English Subtitles)
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT:
“The film is a celebration of Christianity. It’s about our relationship with Jesus Christ. Nowadays, there are many approaches to the Christian faith, and this film aims to rally everyone behind Jesus Christ, not separate or distinguish one Christian group from the other… Everything just happened in the right time at the right place. It’s really God’s will that (the film) is done this way.” – FRANCIS O. VILLACORTA, Writer and Director, “Pedro Calungsod, Batang Martir”
FILM FESTIVALS: