The indie film “Lockdown” is expected to be the most controversial movie of the year with its displays of nudity.
Award-winning director Joel Lamangan however clarified in a press conference that nudity wasn’t the film’s focal point. Instead, the movie wanted to show the reality of present times under the pandemic.
The movie is “not intended to increase the viewers’ libido but to reflect reality,” Lamangan said. The movie shows the story of people whose backs are up against the wall in these current circumstances.
Being a storyteller type of director, Lamangan admitted being excited at the uncommon plot.
Also present during the virtual event were lead actor Paolo Gumabao and co-actors Paul Jake Paule, Jeff Carpio, Dincent Lojero, Max Eigenmann, Alan Paule, Jess Evardone, Ruby Ruiz and Jim Pebanco.
Gumabao is the personal choice of Lamangan out of the 53 actors who auditioned. Gumabao admitted feeling hesitant doing the nude scenes but reading the script made him change his mind.
“Nudity is a small price to pay for doing a movie under Joel Lamangan,” Gumabao said. He does not have extra preparations before a nude scene but just does it as required.
Gumabao plays the role of Danny, an overseas Filipino worker who came home after the company he worked for closed shop because of the pandemic. Adding to his plight was having to tend to an ailing father (Evardone) which forced him to engage in cybersex together with other people.
Gumabao is the son of actor Dennis Roldan and is a half-sibling of celebrities Marco and Michelle Gumabao.
Evardone himself was amused at going nude at an advanced age while being bathed by Gumabao in the film.
The other characters also have their share of nudity along the way. Eigenmann, who plays Danny’s lover, had her share of steamy scenes with the character. She said she had done similar scenes before, thus earning the tag of being the most daring among the Eigenmann women.
Executive producer Jojo Barron of For Love of Arts Films shared that being a lover of arts included admiring music and paintings. He agreed that there is a thin line between obscenity and the arts but he’s optimistic that viewers’ perception of nudity will turn around after the viewers watch the movie.
He remembered requesting Lamangan for the movie to have a redeeming value, and the director himself believes that there will come a time when moviegoers will no longer be shocked at nude scenes.
Lamangan also wished that movie houses will be allowed to admit 50 percent of their total capacity just like what churches are being allowed to do at this time.
“Lockdown” is competing at the Barcelona Film Festival and three other festivals in different parts of the globe. “Lockdown” is available for streaming through KTX.ph, Upstream.ph, RAD (iamrad.app) and WeTV.