Movie Star of 'Amigo' Visits Milpitas

Audiences who saw Joel Torre on the big screen got a chance to see the actor in person after Sunday's 4 and 7 p.m. showings.

But for many Filipino Americans moviegoers, the independent film, Amigo, highlights a dark chapter of history that has just about been forgotten—the Philippine American War.

Set in a small village in the Philippines occupied by U.S. military, the mayor played by Torre is caught in the middle of an armed conflict between the Americans and the insurgents. A peaceful village becomes inundated with martial law, torture, guerrilla warfare and execution.

Director John Sayles (Honeydripper, Silver City) and actor Torre have known each other for more than a decade. Sayles is the author of A Moment in the Sun, a history book that includes chapters on the Philippine American War. Sayles visited Torre when he was in the Philippines researching the book. Torre visited in Sayles in New York. The two kept in touch and developed it into a film that was eventually shot in the Philippines.

Most recently they are touring to promote the film. Sayles is on the East Coast and Torre on the West Coast. A few major cities with large Filipino populations such as Milpitas began showing the movie on Friday.

Many have asked Torre about the audience reaction to the film.

"People didn't know about this part of history," he said, "and the great reaction is now they know."

Torres said even in the Philippines, the truth has been suppressed and kept out of the history books. San Jose resident Jose Estrada, who grew up in the Philippines, agreed.

"I believe that all the Filipinos in the U.S. should see this movie, because this is a part of our history that is rarely discussed or taught in our Philippine history courses," he said.

"We were taught that the Americans gave us education and democracy, but the part where the atrocities were committed is omitted in most of the history textbooks used in the elementary and high school levels." 

The independent film was shot in Bohol, Philippines, in six weeks with a budget of $1 million. It lasted for two weeks at the box office in the Philippines, mostly because it competed with Harry Potter and the Transformers, said Winston Emano, a publicist for the film.

For now, the film runs through Thursday at the Great Mall . Whether it will run longer depends on whether the moviegoers show up.

"At the end of the day, the proof has to come from the ticket-buying public," said Emano. "Vote at the box office."

Showtimes are 9:45 a.m., 12:50 p.m., 3:55 p.m., 7 p.m. and 10:05 p.m. Buy tickets online. This film is not rated.

To read the review by the New York Times click here.