THIS SEPTEMBER, Edjop, a biopic about student leader-turned-activist Edgar Jopson, is set to offer a ray of hope to the youth movement in the Philippines, at a time of rampant corruption, apathy, and disillusionment.
Produced by Open Water Productions and Origin8media Corp., the film is directed by Katski Flores and co-written by Ms. Flores and Jade Castro.
Set from 1969 to 1979, the story follows Edgar Jopson, a.k.a. Edjop (played by Elijah Canlas), as he navigates Martial Law-era Philippines as a young man born to privilege.
As he responds to the brutal inequalities he sees by embracing the revolution, the film anchors his legacy to the present by intertwining it with the story of his eldest daughter, Joyette Jopson (played by Jodi Sta. Maria), a world-class triathlete. Her timeline is set in 2019, when she is training for the North Pole Marathon while also coming to terms with the legacy of the father she never met.
“Edjop is not a documentary, but it’s also not historical fiction. I guess the space is in between,” said director Ms. Flores at a press conference in Quezon City. “The film opens with the words, ‘Inspired by memories of true events,’ because we relied on firsthand accounts and written accounts. We had many sources, like the documentary Edjop from 1986, and the stories of Joy (Edjop’s wife and Joyette’s mother).”
The production managed to interview Mrs. Jopson back in 2023 before her dementia fully kicked in; she supplied input that helped shape the film’s events. “Exact dialogue she would not remember. Our goal was to capture what we got from real stories — the feeling, the scope of it,” Ms. Flores explained.
The biopic aims to be a coming-of-age story, family drama, and political thriller all in one, taking audiences through the tipping point of Edjop’s transformation into a leader of First Quarter Storm student rallies and eventual underground revolutionary. After turning his back on wealth and comfort to confront the Marcos dictatorship, he was killed by the military in 1982.
FIVE YEARS
Joyette Jopson, who was a close consultant during production, told the press how the film started out as just a dream.
“Ang dami kong bubog bilang anak (I had a lot of pain as a daughter). I was three when my father died,” she said. “In the beginning, seeing his life as a film was just a dream that was planted in my heart. Then I reconnected with Katski at a high school reunion.”
With Ms. Flores, a seasoned filmmaker, the dream slowly turned into reality — it took five years for the film to materialize due to production costs and risks. For Ms. Jopson, it was necessary to power through and finish it.
“I was the last person you would think to be a child of an activist. Marami akong (I had a lot of) resentment, but the next generation think Edjop is a legend, and rightly so,” she said. “Seeing him come to life through Elijah was very, very special.”
She added that the R-16 rating the film received was already a blessing, because they were worried about possible censorship.
FINDING ACTORS
Aside from Mr. Canlas as Edjop and Jodi Sta. Maria as Joyette, the film also stars Kakie Pangilinan as young Joy, Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo as old Joy, and Nour Hooshmand as Sucel.
Playing Edjop was a must, according to Mr. Canlas, who was first only cast as the young version.
“I read the full script and it was beautiful. Hindi ako papayag na hindi ako si Edjop (I would not have accepted not being Edjop),” he said, noting how they found it difficult to cast someone due to the political nature of the character. “Sabi nila masyado pa raw akong bata, pero desperado na sila (They said I was too young for the role, but they were desperate), so we did a screen test.” He got the role.
Though Edjop died in his 30s, and Mr. Canlas was only 23 at the time of filming, the acting, make-up, and prosthetics allowed him to play the part as needed, he added.
For Ms. Sta. Maria, discovering the legacy of a person she at first wasn’t aware of was daunting, but she was also drawn to the project because of the allure of playing the daughter in present day.
“Noong binasa ko ‘yong script, doon ko nalaman na napakahalaga pala ni Edjop (It was when I read the script that I realized how important Edjop was),” she said. “What attracted me also is that Joyette is an elite triathlete. I would have to transform myself.”
After changing her diet and preparing physically for the role, Ms. Sta. Maria was able to comfortably play the real person, who was on set to help in keeping things accurate.
MESSAGE OF HOPE
On how Edjop’s life could make an impact on the youth who watch the film, Mr. Canlas explained that the key message would be hope.
“He wouldn’t lose hope. He’s the type of guy who would keep fighting, especially if he sees something wrong,” he said. “The political landscape now is chaotic, but I feel like that would motivate him even more to speak out.”
For Ms. Flores, the director, the film was made at just the right time for people to remember and learn from the past.
“We live in an age where it has never been easier to disseminate and distort information. It’s instant, with social media and the internet, and easier to embolden unscrupulous actors who want to revise one of the darker periods in history,” she said. “Edjop is a reckoning with the past because we have not learned from our past. This is our way of standing up against that tide of extreme disinformation.”
Edjop will open in Philippine cinemas on Sept. 16. It has an MTRCB rating of R-16. — Brontë H. Lacsamana
