It was shooting not only two but four birds with just one stone.
Internationally acclaimed film director Brillante Ma. Mendoza knew his film economics when he begun to endear himself with the provinces of Batangas and Mindoro Oriental when he discovered them in the course of filming a Coco Martin-Julia Montes project in Pola, Mindoro Oriental.
The milieu of the southern Tagalog regions is very tempting and tailor-made to the narratives Brillante are etching in the screens of his mind.
Additionally, the mayor of Pola, sexy actress Ina Alegre, Jennifer Cruz in real life has been very accommodating and generous about the use of her jurisdiction in the making of Mendoza’s movies.
After the Coco-Julia starrer which is yet tentatively titled “Pula,” Dante Mendoza went on to shoot “Palitan,” a daring picture of two pairs of lovers which starred Cara Gonzales, Rash Flores, Jela Cuenca and Luis Hontiveros.
It is still being shown in Vivamax streaming site and is reportedly making good at the digital cash registry.
Then Dante and his creative team went back to the seas and parcel of lands of Pola and the neighboring Batangas offshores to shoot “Sisid,” a close look at boys love in the countryside with Vince Rillon, Kylie Versoza, Paolo Gumabao and Christine Bermas.
On its fourth stint, Mendoza shot “Bahay na Pula” to tackle the reel issue of prostitution in the rural setting in the inlands of Pola with Julia Barretto.
It’s in “Sisid” that the aquatic elements of Pola were presented and exposed to the public to win tourism spots from foreign and local guests.
Most of the erotic scenes between Christine and Vince, between Vince and Paolo and between Kylie and Paolo were all shot in the pristine seas and idyllic community.
“Napakaganda ng environment ng Pola at ng mga neighboring towns at ng Batangas waters kaya sino ang hindi mawiwili sa kasu-shoot doon (The environment of Pola and its neighboring towns and the Batangas waters are beautiful so who wouldn’t be hooked to shoot there),” Mendoza admitted.
“Siguro, ‘yong pam-fifth kong pelikula na gagawin sa Pola at sa Batangas ay ibang approach at cast naman (Maybe my fifth film to be shot in Pola and the Batangas seas would have different approach and cast),” he assured.