Film and television director Joyce Bernal was tapped by Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar to be the director to President Director Rodrigo Duterte’s third State of the Nation Address which will happen today, July 23, 2018.
Bernal said that she would not accept any professional fee for it, saying that she would like do it “for the Filipino people”.
However, the well-known film director also said in an interview with PEP.ph that she has two more request before she will direct the SONA.
“Gusto ko siyang ma-meet. Gusto ko siyang maramdaman. Hindi naman docu yung gagawin. Yung coverage ko sa kanya, from the moment na bumaba siya ng chopper, going there, waiting, then the speech. After ng speech, wala na po akong coverage,” PEP.ph quoted Bernal revealing her first request.
The director’s first request has been granted last night, July 22, when she met Pres. Duterte during the final preparation for the SONA at the Malacanang Palace.
As for her second request, Bernal revealed that she wanted to add subtitles during the live broadcast of President Duterte’s speech.
“Gusto ko nga sana may subtitle na Tagalog just in case English yung speech niya.
“Kasi last year, Ingles, e. Gusto ko sana yung ganun pero nag-a-adlib kasi si President, e. Gusto ko yung tipong naglalaba ka, kahit hindi mo naririnig, nababasa mo yung sinasabi ng Presidente,” she said.
Bernal also said that Sec. Andanar gave her specific instructions to “capture the president’s spontaneity”. She added that directing a political event like the SONA is very different from her entertainment projects.
“Di ba, ayaw ko na mag-direct? Pero ito, gusto ko,” she said.
“Iba yung direction, you get to talk [to the person]. ‘Ano yung gusto mo?’
“Yung intention niya at intention ko, dapat magsama. But because wala kaming usap na ganun, research lang ng mga pinagsasabi niya,” she added.
In a separate interview with GMA-7’s Unang Hirit, she expressed how grateful and honored she is to direct the SONA.
“Very honored ako. Hindi ito pagdi-direk ng rom-com. Hindi ito pagdidirek ng traffic. Pagdidirek ito ng SONA. May sasabihin ang ating ama para sa atin, para sa Pilipino,” she said.
Getting praise from Robin Padilla
Through his Instagram account, Filipino actor Robin Padilla, a known supporter of the Duterte administration, praised Bernal for her willingness to direct the SONA for free.
“Malalim na pagpupugay sa iyo binibining Joyce Bernal isa kang halimbawa at ilaw sa lahat sa aming nasa industriya at rebolusyon! Mabuhay ka at ang ating panata!” Padilla wrote on Instagram.
