“Working with Sr. Chiqui Xerex-Burgos in Kolorete”
If reading Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo is still part of History and Rizal works courses today the way it was during my high school and college days, I can safely presume that today’s students know that during the Spanish time, in a Pueblo or a Municipio, if there was a Prayle, there would also be an Alcalde. No need to expound more on it.
In the indie film “KOLORETE”, as I have mentioned earlier in several blog entries, I am playing the role of Prayle Antarez. Senor Chiqui Xerex-Burgos on the other hand is playing the role of Don Andres, the Alcalde. Our duo epitomizes the presence of Spaniards in Islas Filipinas during that era as depicted in the film.
It goes without saying that our characters would be interacting a lot in the story. In the process, I came to know more about the person – Sr. Chiqui Xerex-Burgos, an icon in today’s Philippine entertainment industry (theatre, movie and TV).
In between takes, we talked a lot on several issues – from the most trivial to the most significant.
For a starter, did you know that it was Sr. Chiqui who discovered Director Joel Lamangan as an actor? During their PETA days (Philippine Educational Theatre Association) it was Chiqui who saw the acting potentials of Direk Joel when Chiqui recommended him to play the role of a driver/bodyguard for his first ever stage appearance? This fact, made Direk Joel mad at his then Assistant Director M.P. who was “power playing” on Sr. Chiqui in one of their tapings.
He admonished M.P. for his misbehavior and told him about that important fact that Sr. Chiqui is his discoverer!
Sr. Chiqui had worked with film greats Lino Brocka, Ismael Bernal and of course Joel Lamangan in most of their films. He abhors theatre people who make a lot of boot licking( sip sip stupid!) with Director Joel Lamangan just to get film and TV acting assignments in Direk Joel’s projects!
Sr. Chiqui is a certified chain smoker. He was such a sight during our shooting for “Kolorete” with a cheap plastic bag containing his packs of cigarettes! Even as we walked a kilometer from the main road in Biak-na-Bato to the scenic field near the foot of Sierra Madre, he was holding the cheap plastic bag with his cigarettes!
Since we were all sweating profusely under the heat of the sun, Sr. Chiqui was only wearing a light white sando while waiting for a take. To make himself comfortable, he simply put the period costume over his white sando whenever we had a take. He confided to me that he did not take his bath that day as he wiped the sweat on his forehead.
We shared the same table during meals. All of us were already done with our food, while he was still eating! He told us that he is really a slow eater. He wants to enjoy his meal and make sure that the food is digested well by his system.
This proud Filipino with strong Spanish blood hails from Zamboanga. He is teaching at Ateneo and just like me he considers acting as his passion!
Watch our scenes together in “Kolorete”.
