One of the well-crafted films in the 2023 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival is Jopy Arnaldo’s Gitling.
Two strangers meet in Bacolod—one is visiting and one is returning. Jamie (Gabby Padilla) works as a hired translator to Japanese filmmaker Makoto (Ken Yamamura), who is doing his subtitles for his new film premiering at The Black Crow Film Festival in the City of Smiles.
There are five languages in the film—English, Japanese, Tagalog, Hiligaynon, and a made-up language.
“I love words,” insists Jamie. Back in college, inspired by the success of The Lord of the Rings, she wrote a dictionary and invented a new language, which she kept in a notebook. Jamie is so sensitive that she rescues Makoto from cinephiles who corners him for some “meet and greet.” She is so hospitable that even after work, she shows him around and teaches him how to eat chicken inasal with a side of seaweeds.
What about Makoto? He was the only one who appreciated Jamie’s made-up dictionary and even revised his film after spending time with her, discovering a language that only the two of them can understand. Is this language called love?
We caught Jopy at the Filmmakers’ Night dinner at the CCP Harbour Square and asked the first-time filmmaker about his inspiration.
He says he read an article about the translator of Bong Joon-ho (Parasite) who was with the Korean director during the Oscar campaign season. “She wrote about her experience, in one line, she was talking about the difference between translation and interpretation,” recalls the Ateneo Interdisciplinary Studies graduate. “I love words so I was inspired by that.”
Early on, Jopy really wanted to be in the comics industry. He was told that learning the film language can help one become a comics writer. He joined a film organization and took two film classes—one under Quark Henares and one under Marie Jamora. “That was it,” he muses. “Everything else was film org and watching movies.’
He loves Japanese cinema and its sound were music to his ears. “I grew up watching all the anime in GMA 7,” recalls the advertising creative director. His favorite filmmakers are Yasujirō Ozu and Richard Linklater.
How did she cast the character Jamie? “I worked with Gabby, her once in a series during the pandemic,” he says. “I have never met her except on Zoom, [and] she also speaks in Hiligaynon.”
Jopy tailor made the script with Gabby in mind. “Kung hindi sya nag yes, hindi ko alam gagawin ko (If she did not say yes, I would know what to do),” he confesses.
It was hard to find a Japanese actor in the Philippines to fill the role of the leading man. “Stefanie Arianne from Plan 75 messaged my producer that she met a Japanese actor that can play Makoto,” says the 34-year-old debuting director. “She messaged him (Ken) on Instagram, then tuloy tuloy na (it worked out well).”
Ken has appeared in The Wolverine with Hugh Jackman and Black Mirror. He speaks English so it was easy for Jopy to direct him.
“I always wanted [to feature] a made-up language to show the metaphor to people that when you’re in a relationship, you have your own language,” he says.
As we watch the quiet but engaging film filled with images reminiscent of Makoto Shinkai films and Kogonada’s Columbus which were Jopy’s pegs, we had to endure the bittersweet ending. As the two kill time inside the 30-seater Safehouse theater watching a romantic film, Makoto quietly whispers, “I have to go.” Jamie decides to stay inside the cinema watching a couple kiss onscreen.
Jopy has one request though: “With hope it reaches an audience that would appreciate it.”