JOEL Torre and Bodjie Pascua play plum roles in “Amigo.”

LOS ANGELES – “Amigo,” writer-director John Sayles’ drama set in the Philippine-American War and shot in Bohol, screens for the first time in the United States at the AFI (American Film Institute) Fest on November 6, 9:45 p.m. at the world famous Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

The film focuses on a local village dealing with the US invasion in 1900 while still recovering from the revolution against Spain.

The screening is presented by The Association for the Advancement of Filipino-American Arts and Culture (also known as FilAm ARTS), according to its founding board director and chair emeritus, Winston Emano.

“We’re excited about our very first screening of ‘Amigo’ in the United States, specifically in LA which has a large Filipino population as well as a big John Sayles fan base,” Maggie Renzi, “Amigo’s” producer, told us via e-mail. “AFI hooked us up with FilAm ARTS and Winston Emano, whose outreach for ‘Amigo’ is getting a great response.”

Unspoken part of history

Starring Joel Torre, the film that was shot entirely in the Philippines depicts a part of Fil-American history that Maggie described as "so unspoken it’s practically a secret."

Asked about the film’s journey in the festival circuit thus far, Maggie answered: “AFI will be our fourth festival with ‘Amigo’ and since London, we’ve really felt the Filipino audience discovering the movie. Toronto was all business – that’s what’s happening at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) now. San Sebastian? Check out johnsaylesbaryo.blogspot.com. The historic loss of the Philippines is huge in the Spanish psyche, even today. In San Sebastian, they saw the movie totally in subtitles. There was some resistance, though everyone loved Rafael, Joel’s character. Joel got a lot of attention wherever he went. And John Sayles is worshipped in Spain.”

‘Provocative, insightfully funny’

We have not seen the film yet. The Inquirer’s Lito Zulueta, who attended the first composite printscreening of “Amigo” in the Philippines last August, wrote in an article: “Brave, provocative, and insightfully funny, ‘Amigo’ weaves a complex tale that does not simplify the issues involved in the war and tries to give voice to the Filipinos’ yearning for freedom.”

Lito also wrote: “Sayles said he tried to capture the complexity of the war in the movie while tracing America’s conflicted policy in Iraq to its original imperialist venture in the Philippines.”

Formerly titled “Baryo,” “Amigo” features a cast of Filipino and international actors. Aside from Joel, the Pinoy thespians include Bembol Roco, Ronnie Lazaro, Rio Locsin, Pen Medina, Bodjie Pascua, Irma Adlawan, John Arcilla, Spanky Manikan, Miguel Faustmann and Joe Gruta.

The international cast has Chris Cooper (winner of Oscar and Golden Globe Best Supporting Actor awards for “Adaptation”), Garret Dillahunt, DJ Qualls, Lucas Neff, Bill Tangradi, Yul Vasquez, Dane DeHaan, James Parks and Stephen Taylor.

“It was an honor and privilege to have an icon like Sayles shooting in the Philippines, definitely,” Art Acuña said when we asked him about his experience working with the director who also wrote and edited the film. “It was already an honor that he was interested in telling this story in the first place.”

Art added: “The easy collaboration between actor, director, and the production team was unique.”

“AMIGO” director John Sayles and Fil-Am actor Art Acuña, who plays Macario Locsin in the war film

‘True learning experience’

John also tapped Filipinos to comprise the film’s production staff and crew.

Art, who is based in the US where he also appears in the theater, flew to the Philippines for the movie’s shoot. “For the character (Macario Locsin) I played, it took an expanded three weeks,” he said. “Expanded because there were scenes in-between mine that left me with an open, enjoyable window to explore Bohol on a motorcycle with my lady, Maritina (Romulo). And the shoots were totally enjoyable and a true learning experience.”

Aside from having his my wife-to-be helping him with ideas and notes while shooting, Art said he thought “seeing Sayles in a Philippine setting seemed unreal.”

Art said: “The American cast was cool. They were serious actors.”

He thinks “Amigo” is “a beautiful movie with a lot of heart.”

John and Maggie will grace the November 6 screening. Winston said that admission to the movie is free. Details on how to get tickets are available onhttp://filamarts.org/get-involved/presenting-la-premiere-amigo.

E-mail the columnist at rvnepales_5585@yahoo.com.