Independent filmmaker Mia Buenaventura with deejay Chico Garcia who did the voice for Billie, the sea horse, in both the English and Tagalog versions.

The claymation film opens with Billie the sea horse perched on a brain coral, a place that his giant whale shark friend Ben calls a “thinking spot” because “it wasn’t called brain for nothing.”

Billie, the sea horse: Bakit ba ang laki mo, Tata Ben? (Why are you so big, Big Ben?)

Ben, the whale shark: Billie, nakita ko na ang pinakamalayo at pinakamalalim na karagatan. Di masusukat ang dagat at ang langit na bumabalot dito. Kung iisipin mo ako’y isang maliit na butil lamang. (I have traveled far and wide and into the deep, deep sea. The ocean and the sky above us are so immense that I’m just a tiny speck compared to everything around us.)

Billie: Ikaw maliit na butil? Eh kung ganun, ano pa ako? (You? A speck? Then what am I?)
Ben: Billie, kaya mo maging malaki kung ‘yan ang pangarap mo. (Billie, you can be as big as you want to be.)

This is just one of many heartwarming scenes recounted by Billie, the narrator and best friend of Ben, the butanding. Other lovable marine creatures in the film are Audrine, the sea horse; Penny, the pawikan; a dolphin; jelly fish; and of course, lots of fish.

Independent filmmaker Mia Buenaventura, whose films “Leon”, a Ronnie Lazaro starrer; and “Gantsilyo”, featuring Gloria Romero, have been screened in various film festivals and won awards, has ventured into a new format in presenting her new short film.

“It all started when the children’s story I wrote, ‘Old Big Ben the Butanding’ was chosen by a non-profit organization as one of 10 stories to be read in an upcoming event at the Manila Ocean Park. I saw the potential of the story to become a film and decided that the best format to deliver the important message of saving the seas to a young audience was through claymation,” Buenaventura explains.

DIVING AND FILMMAKING

Buenaventura developed a passion for saving the seas when she saw first-hand how beautiful and vulnerable it was. A certified open water scuba diver for almost three years, she has been around the country’s most popular dive spots and observed the fast deterioration of the coral reefs.

“The last straw for me was when I read a news article in October last year about a whale shark found dead along Manila Bay. When people investigated the cause of death, they found plastic and other trash inside the whale shark’s stomach. It’s such a tragedy that a gentle giant would suffer so much due to reckless human activities,” says Buenaventura.

“I then developed a story around that particular news article. I gave the whale shark a name, Old Big Ben or Tata Ben, and wrote about his valiant efforts of saving the seas on his own. Though the story has more sad moments than happy ones, the challenges of marine environment protection, preservation and conservation are realities that people, young and old, should be aware of,” she adds.

Apart from pollution, other marine threats tackled in the film are over-fishing and dynamite fishing. This may seem a lot to digest in a short animated film but the story seamlessly weaves these issues together as it takes the audience into a tale of friendship and adventure.

Who would have thought that such a friendship between a giant whale shark and a tiny seahorse would thrive against all possible threats to their beloved home? Ben and Billie will show the viewers how.

VOICE TALENTS

Popular radio personality (and this section’s resident advice columnist) Chico Garcia of RX93.1 “The Morning Rush” is the voice behind Billie, the sea horse in both the Tagalog and English versions.

Says Chico, “I’m very happy to be part of a short film that aims to spread the word of saving the seas, because of the many causes floating out there, the singular cause that’s closest to my heart is saving the lives of innocent endangered animals. They have every right to cohabit this planet that we humans have appropriated for ourselves.

I’m glad to have lent my voice to a good cause, and hopefully, a good film as well.”

Other voice talents are Cicero Lumauig as Ben and Aria Buenaventura and Gerard Gil as the jelly fish.

CLAYMATION

Writer-director Buenaventura has done shorts in digital film and 16-mm film. It’s her first time to do claymation which she found very challenging and also a rewarding experience.

“I found it awesome to mold something with my hands and see it come to life after several, or more specifically, hundreds of shots,” she says.

Adds Buenaventura, “Nowadays, it’s rare to find a film in claymation. The more popular type of animation is 3D computer generated animation. Though some may think that claymation is a dying art, it’s still the most accessible. With some clay, wire, a digital camera and lots of imagination and creativity, you’re all set. It’s child’s play.

“Si Tata Ben: Ang Dambuhalang Butanding is not a polished and big-budgeted Pixar animation but it’s done with a lot of heart, passion and patience,” she explains.

True enough, young viewers will be treated to a film filled with lots of heart and funny encounters- from finding one’s true love, to discovering one’s purpose and to saving a beloved home. This under-the-sea claymation is truly a whale-of-a-tale.

(Buenaventura will do a story reading at the Manila Ocean Park Saturday, March 13, at 8 a.m. The film will be shown at Museo Pambata during the museum’s celebration of Earth Defenders Month and Earth Day.)