A grandson of the late President Manuel Luis Quezon confronted the producers and actor Jericho Rosales during a post-screening discussion over the new historical film ‘Quezon,’ calling his kin’s biopic a ‘satire’ and a ‘joke’.
The eponymous biopic premiered in the Philippines last October 15, but it will start screening in other countries on October 30.
During the post-screening event, Quezon’s grandson Ricky Avanceña called out director Jerrold Tarog and Rosales over the movie’s portrayal of his grandfather.
The heated exchange, caught in an exclusive video by Inquirer.net Digital Content Producer Samuel Yap, happened during the QandA session following a special screening organized by TBA Studios on Wednesday in Makati.
In the clip, Avanceña questioned Tarog about whether the film was meant to be satire, expressing anger over what he called a distortion of Quezon’s legacy.
‘So nagbibiro ka lang pala? So joke pala ito?’ Avanceña said, his voice rising as he addressed the director. ”Wag natin papaniwalaan, joke pala ito! It is satire!’
Tarog kept his composure, saying, ‘We’ll leave that to the audience to decide if it’s something they want to process.’
Rosales, who portrays the late president, stepped in to calm the situation. ‘With all due respect, sir, I understand your feelings. But this is a QandA for our film,’ he said, but Avanceña shut him down, saying, ‘Jericho, huwag mo ko ganyanin ha? One minute and I’m done.’
Avanceña accused the filmmakers of profiting off what he called a ‘misrepresentation’ of his grandfather’s character before storming out of the venue.
‘Canceling Quezon’
Avancena is the son of Zenaida ‘Nini’ Quezon-Avanceña, second daughter of the late Commonwealth president with former First Lady Aurora Quezon.
Hours after the confrontation, Avanceña posted a series of remarks on Facebook criticizing the film and its creators.
‘F***ing Jericho Rosales tried to block me, in effect canceling a Quezon from a Quezon movie which sullied his reputation,’ he wrote.
The former president’s grandson urged his followers to watch the film ‘and then join me in a social media defense,’ claiming that the project reduced Quezon to a caricature.
Reputable references, fictional elements
In a statement released Friday, TBA Studios defended the film, stressing that it was based on extensive research and credible sources.
‘The film is grounded in verified historical accounts, including President Quezon’s own autobiography and other reputable references,’ the studio said. ‘While it includes fictional elements for dramatic purposes, the facts and context presented are easily verifiable.’
TBA added that it released a companion book and study guide containing the materials used in developing the screenplay.
‘General Luna’ steps in
John Arcilla, who played Gen. Antonio Luna in Tarog’s earlier films ‘Heneral Luna’ and ‘Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral,’ also weighed in through the comments section of Avanceña’s post.
Arcilla echoed Avanceña’s sentiments, explaining that they were ‘entitled’ to their reactions despite that the film’s satirical angle was its ‘best defense.’
‘We share the same sentiment. All the people involved are my colleagues and friends, and while I cannot apologize on their behalf-because, as you said, they have their own principles and freedom of expression-I believe that if the living family and descendants feel bothered by the matter, you/we are fully entitled to our reactions, or even to seek proper clarification or action if necessary,’ said the actor.
‘Still, I understand that the ‘satirical’ angle might be the film’s best defense. It looked satirical in the way they styled the early rigodons of political opponents and some of the ‘actings’ but the content itself doesn’t feel like one,’ continued Arcilla.
Quezon marks the final installment in Tarog’s so-called ‘Bayaniverse’ trilogy, following ‘Heneral Luna’ (2015) and ‘Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral’ (2018). It explores Quezon’s leadership in the pre-war years, including his struggles with politics, illness, and national identity.