Matteo Guidicelli hopes MMFF’s Penduko ‘uplifts’ Filipino traditions, martial arts

The actor-host plays the titular role in the movie remake of Penduko, one of the official entries at the 49th Metro Manila Film Festival to be shown in cinemas starting on Christmas Day, Dec. 25.“It’s truly overwhelming and it’s a big responsibility. I always think about it every night. I tell my wife that this is a big thing to hold. Penduko is a household , a country’s name kumbaga,” Matteo shared in a press conference.

Pedro leaves his hometown and moves to the city to pursue his dreams. With no luck on his side, he starts doing odd jobs to make ends meet, completely wasting his gift and potential. “It was a process prepared in different aspects, different levels but the main objective was to go on set free, liberated reactive to what was happening. Yes, it’s full of action, it’s a family drama film, he’s a hero but not coming into the picture as a hard hero. No. He is a hero,” he said of Pedro.He added, “He never loses that smile on his face. He has it all the time. Even though he is struggling, going through challenges, he always that smile on his face.

Matteo furthered that although Pedro is “happy” living in his hometown, he wanted to create a difference in his life by going out of his shell and making a life for himself in the big city, which includes having a decent job, living in a condominium and owning a car. “Because this is what our kabataan follows. Like what they say, perception is reality. Media is a very powerful platform. Film is very powerful. Music is very powerful. So I hope this film will uplift Filipino culture, Filipino martial arts, Filipino traditions and Filipino lessons and values.”

Matteo is also thrilled to be spending Christmas this year with an MMFF movie, with his wife and family. “Yes there are pros and cons but the challenge is good. And we really have to bring out something new and push harder every time,” he concluded. The filmmaker retained the Filipino folklore aspect but injected a modern twist to the backstory of Pedro in his reimagined version. “Since the last Penduko, the Filipino audience has been exposed to Marvel movies, superhero movies and Netflix content streaming so I felt na nagkaroon na ng evolution yung taste ng audience when it comes to this kind of material.”

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