He nearly spoke no words. All of the emotions were in his eyes and demeanor. The despair was in every step that he took. Hunched shoulders, head and eyes looking down gave him a look of defeat. The mean streets of Ermita, the alleyways of Sta. Cruz, the open but immensely crowded Plaza Miranda in Quiapo had broken him down. Perhaps no other actor of his generation could have pulled it off. We are referring to Piolo Pascual, the lead actor of “Manila.”

“Manila” by Adolf Alix Jr. and Raya Martin, required an onscreen presence that unquestionably demanded audiences’ attention. Each filmmaker directs his own portion of the two-part film. Both needed an actor who could convey feelings with a subtlety and economy of movement. They knew Piolo Pascual may be the only one worthy of their homage to Lino Brocka and Ishmael Bernal. And there it was on screen, for the first time it had come home to the Philippines by opening Cinemalaya 2009. A rousing standing ovation was given after the showing in a packed CCP Main Theater.

“Manila” was initially premiered to the world at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival. The film had its regular showing at Robinsons Galleria starting July 18. Cinemalaya Film Festival is considered to be the home of burgeoning local independent films, hence the homecoming. CCP President Nestor P. Jardin said, “Cinemalaya belongs to the filmmakers. Their vision here is free from the influence of commercial productions.” He credited the success to longtime support and participation of veteran film maker Laurice Guillen, philanthropist and patron TonyBoy Cojuangco and Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) Chairman, Rolando “Jacky” Atienza.

The gritty black and white treatment of the first part recalls Brocka’s classic “Maynila sa Kuko ng Liwanag.” Bembol Roco was then starting his career, both of them ran and walked in the same side streets and dingy dark corners. Piolo, however, has that commanding presence that draws sympathy and even understanding for a character. Instead of searching for Hilda Koronel, Piolo looks for the young, innocent, yet sexy Angelica Panganiban. The other major character is a similarly strong performance of Rosanna Roces.

The brilliance of the film is in the ability to tell a story, via a journey, or a series of strolls in the city with a minimum of dialogue. Without the credible acting of Pascual, the whole movie falls short. There’s a biting realism in the simplicity of the visuals. Poverty, prostitution and drug use are all part of daily life in the city. They are shown without fan fare and glamour. In one scene where he takes “shabu,” his face is completely stoic and yet tears slowly stream down his cheeks.

The second part of the film employs dialogue but is not any less challenging for the young actor and producer. In one scene, he lies face down in a mountain of garbage, trying to elude police. In it he plays a bodyguard of his boss played by Jay Manalo. The seductive and sophisticated Alessandra de Rossi plays Manalo’s girlfriend. The second part is based on characters created by Ishmael Bernal, Ricky Lee and Jose Lacaba.

Pascual also produced “Kimmy Dora” the launching movie of Eugene Domingo. The trailer was shown for the first time before the screening of “Manila.” Pascual said, “We are very lucky that we were able to get Eugene to agree for us to produce her first starring role. There were a number of production outfits competing for the project.” Pascual also has a much-awaited telenovela entitled “Lovers in Paris” with KC Concepcion. Rachel Anne Wolfe plays Pascual’s sister in the show airing in early August.

The two directors also paid homage to another great filmmaker with a cameo appearance by Lav Diaz. In it he directs Iza Calzado and Jon Avila in a shoot. The seemingly behind-the- scenes portion of a telenovela gives a partition between the two distinct portions of the film. Fans approach Iza with fervor grabbing pictures with her using the ubiquitous cell phone. It creates a light interlude to separate an otherwise dark rendition of the city. Radio Active Sago Project provides a jazzy, but light ’70s inspired track in this sequence. Urian award-winning film editor Aleks Castañeda was credited here. Another Aleks signature is showing credits in the middle of the film.

The Cinemalaya filmfest is on its fifth year hence the title “Cinco” and the tagline “all roads lead to the big small film festival.” Cannes Best Director Awardee Brillante Mendoza is an alumnus of the festival. Mendoza talked about its importance in discovering new talents as reported in Manila Bulletin Entertainment. His film “Serbis” will also be shown during the filmfest on July 25. The masterpieces of Brocka, Doy Del Mundo, Maryo J. Delos Reyes and Peque Gallaga will also be shown in the festival that runs from July 17 to 26.