THE ROW BETWEEN award-winning director Erik Matti and critically acclaimed cinematographer Neil Daza is getting worse to the point of an open discussion if not an immediate debate challenge at the floor of the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP).
Erik has challenged Neil to end once and for all their animosity that recently sparked when the latter posted on his social media spaces these words: “So much passion for making films, yet no passion to show up when it comes to labor issues.”
The remarks didn’t point at Matti directly but he categorically identified himself as the one being referred to by Neil.
“Alam kong ako yan dahil galing ka lang sa FAP mediation at hinahanap mo kami ni (I know I am the one you are referring to because you have just come from FAP mediation and you were looking for me and) Dondon,” noted Erik on his Facebook wall.
The Dondon Matti mentioned in his posts was purportedly Dondon Monteverde, Executive Producer of Reality MM Studios which Erik co-founded, co-manages and leads its creative directorship with the former.
“Tapusin na natin ito sa (Let’s end this at) FAP. ‘Wag mo dalhin sa (Please don’t bring it on to) social media,” Erik dared Neil.
“May reklamo ka na nga sa FAP, may patutsada ka pa sa (You already have a complaint with the Academy, you still have insinuations in) FB,” Matti emphasized.
“Dun na natin sa FAP tapusin. Kung manalo ka sa isyu mo, e di gud. Kung manalo kami, e di (Let’s get through this at the Academy. If your issue wins, good. If we win over you), sorry,” he added.
“Diretsuhin mo ako. Diretso akong tao. Eto diretsuhin kita. Di ko gusto ilaw mo. Medyo tv. Dati maganda. Ngayon di na. Yan. Diretso. Sinasabi ko opinyon ko sa ilaw mo. I’m sure di mo rin gusto mga pelikula ko. Ayos lang (Talk to me directly. I am a straightforward person. This one, I’ll get straight to the point. I don’t like your lighting. It’s something like tv. It used to be good. Now it’s not. That’s talking directly. I am being frank with my opinion on your lighting. Surely, you also don’t like my movies. That’s okay),” quipped Erik.
“Nagreklamo ka. Nagkaroon ng meeting sa Film Academy. Mabuti. Karapatan mo ‘yan. At ginagalang ko yan (You filed a complaint. There was a meeting at the Academy. That’s fine. That’s your rights. And I respect them).
“Nakadalawang meeting na nga kayo. Tatlo dapat pero sa isa di naman kayo sumipot (You had already two meetings. It must have been three but you didn’t appear in one of them),” he said.
The director of the movies “On the Job” and “On the Job: The Missing 8” took a swipe at Neil’s true feelings for him. “‘Wag mo na daanin sa general statement. Alam naman ng lahat sa industriya na gigil ka sa akin. Di naman ito yung una mong hanash (Just don’t make use of a general statement. Everyone in the industry knows you have some kind of a ‘pent-up emotion’ on me. This isn’t the first time that you hash tagged me),” he clarified.
Matti also quantified the meaning of taking the cudgels for the film industry.
“Ikaw na ang tagapaglaban ng industriya (You are indeed the guardian of the industry), Neil Daza. Ikaw na ang sukatan kung sino ang may malasakit sa pelikula at sa (You are the model of a compassionate person for the industry and) labor,” the director said.
According to Erik, attendance in the meeting isn’t mandatory. “Andiyan producer namin (Our producer was around),” he defended.
“Hindi ako pumunta. Marami akong ginagawa (I didn’t go. I had so many things to do),” he added.
“Hindi ibig sabihin noon wala na akong pakialam sa industriya. Ang nakakatawa, parang gusto mong sukatin ang pagmamahal ng tao sa pelikula base sa attendance sa meeting. Ganun na ba ngayon (That doesn’t mean that I don’t care about the industry. What really is funny, you seemed to gauge the compassion and care of a person toward the industry based on attendance in the meetings. Really now?)”
“Klaruhin ko lang powz. Hindi attendance ang sukatan ng malasakit sa industriya. At lalong hindi ikaw ang magbibigay ng grades kung sino ang may passion at sino ang wala. Bawat isa sa atin may kanya-kanyang paraan ng pagtulong sa industriyang ito. Hindi lang ‘yung paraang gusto mo. At kung ang batayan mo ng pagmamahal sa pelikula ay kung sino ang present sa meeting, napakababaw naman ng standard na ‘yan. May respeto ako sa’yo dahil sa trabaho mo. Kaya binaitan ko ang post na ito. Sana may respeto ka din sa akin (I just want to make it clear. Attendance isn’t the gauge of compassion for the industry. And you’re not the one to assess who has and who hasn’t compassion. Each of us has our ways of helping this industry. Yours isn’t the only way. And if your basis for the concern for the industry is one’s presence during meetings, that standard is so shallow. I respect you because of your work. That’s why I am kinder with this post. I hope you also respect me),” gushed Erik.
Meanwhile, in a story that appeared in radar.ph where the respective, side-by-side photos of Matti and Daza are slashed, Neil has commented: “I seldom like my own photos, but this one made the cut. Thank you.”