The setting of the new film "Balota" could be anywhere in the Philippines even if it has an imaginary place and time as milieu.
It could be in Laguna Province or anywhere else where a political exercise is being held to vote for leaders to run a public office be it in rural or urban centers.
Primarily because it tells if not yells a story about a female community teacher anywhere in the archipelago who runs, keeps, saves and protects the sanctity of the ballots to herself against harassment and amid life threatening situations in the field.
Filipino actress Marian Rivera plays the teacher-watcher who endangers herself in line of duty during polls characterized by the typical manipulation and dominance of the proverbial guns, goons and gold as determinants of power relations in seeking government control among traditional, oppressive and exploitative politicians.
Marian readily accepted the role without batting an eyelash.
"Nang ialok sa akin ang role, hindi na ako nagdalawang-isip (When the role was offered to me, I didn't have second thoughts)," revealed Rivera in an interview right after the presscon for the 20th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival held at the ballroom of the Metropolitan Theater in Manila.
"Balota" is one of the ten finalists in the Full-Length category of the fest.
Even if Marian had to bear black and blue, bruises in her body, she wouldn't complain at all.
"Wala po akong pakialam kung nagkanda-pasa-pasa ako basta magawa ko lang nang tama ang papel ko sa pelikula (I wouldn't care less if I got contusions as long as I portrayed my role in the film rightly)," she shared.
In the shoots of the movie, the actress was being chased by manipulators of election results and bad guys in defense of corrupt practices of candidates like vote-buying so she had to flee the precinct she was stationed, guarded and carried the ballots of the people's voices intact for society's change for the better while she was being threatened to be killed.
Marian's character is the statement and more or less, the alter ego of Kip Oebanda, the movie's director.
"Wala na po akong katiwa-tiwala sa mga pulitiko. Malapit na naman ang eleksyon at sana ay matuto na tayo para makamtan ang pagbabago (I don't trust our politicians anymore. Election is just around the corner and I hope we as voters have learned our lessons well to achieve the long awaited change for a better Philippines)," explained Kip, a son of fighters against the dictatorship of the older Marcos regime.
"Sana'y makapagmulat ang aming pelikula (I hope our film can enlighten and wake up the people)," quipped the revolutionary filmmaker of the 2018 masterpiece, "Liway" which starred young actress Glaiza de Castro.
"Balota" is Marian's initial foray in Cinemalaya which is a bedrock of no-nonsense Filipino films.
"Ibang excitement po ang naramdaman ko sa pelikulang ito. Sabi ko, sana, may next pa pagkatapos ng (I felt a different kind if excitement in this movie. I said to myself, I hope there will be next project after) 'Balota,'" smiled Rivera.
Is she expecting an award for the film?
"Actually, bonus na lang ang award. Ang mahalaga, naibahagi namin ang mensahe ng pelikula para sa mamamayang Filipino (Award is just a bonus. What is important is that we are able to share the message of the film for the Filipino people)," she explained.
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