Director Brillante Mendoza talks about his award-winning film "Serbis."

Most Thai film buffs will know Filipino director Brillante Mendoza by reputation. Some may even have caught his works, such as “Masahista” or “Foster Child” at film festivals. But no film has garnered as much attention as his latest, “Serbis” (“Service”), which not only not only won two awards at Cannes earlier this year, but was the first Filipino film to do so since Lino Brocka’s “Bayan Ko: Kapit sa Patalim”(“My Country: Gripping the Knife’s Edge”) in 1984.
Set in a decaying adult movie house, the film stirred up controversy for its sex and nude scenes, as well as the side tales of prostitution and incest. We caught up with the director during his recent visit to Bangkok and asked him if his film were meant to shock.

The Philippines is a strict catholic society yet many films made are full of scenes showing sex and nudity. Why is that?
That’s what ‘Serbis’ is about. The Philippines is the biggest catholic society in South East Asia, with 90 per cent of the population practising. It’s a story about having catholic morals but global standards.

How did you set up the scenes?
It’s wasn’t easy. Since the film is based on a real story and real characters, I brought the actor and production team to the actual location so they could absorb and understand the atmosphere. That helped the creative process.

How did you shoot the nude scenes?
By sending everyone away except the cameraman, the actors and my assistant. I told the actors to go ahead and make love as they would in real life, to follow their own choreography and that’s what they did. I guess the most difficult was the love scene where the guy has a boil on his buttock and it’s hurting.

That looked very real. Just how closely did you stick to reality?
(Grins) I know everyone wonders it was real or not. Let’s just say, I don’t believe exploitation and I don’t think you should indulge. If you can feel it, it’s pornographic.

Where did the idea for the boil – and how he deals with it – come from?
Using a bottle to pop a boil is a cultural thing in the Philippines, especially in the provinces. I did it when I was a kid. But the boil in the film represents a physical pain that goes handinhand with the decision he has to make later on about leaving the girl and living the cinema. The decision comes at the same time as he lances the boil.

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>>"Serbis" was the first Filipino film in the Palme d'Or competition at the Cannes Film Festival since Lino Brocka's "Bayan Ko:Kapit sa Patalim" ("My Country Gripping the Knife's Edge") in 1984.

>> The film won the golden Kinnaree in the Southeast Asian Competition at this year's Bangkok International Film Festival.

“Serbis” is now showing at House.