We live in a world triggered by sound and music. They move us to the heights of our joy and despair. Two very promising musicians and composers, Arnell Pablo and Hide Inaba share a piece of their souls as they accompany us in a journey while we follow the story of an undocumented immigrant living in New York.
Into the Blue - Arnell Pablo
Strings of Melancholia - Arnell Pablo
Everyday - Hide Inaba
Mourning the Living - Arnell Pablo
Silent Night - Arnell Pablo
Spiritual Ways - Hide Inaba
What Have I Done? - Arnell Pablo
THE SOUNDS OF TNT
ABOUT THE FILM
THE STORY OF AN UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT
Tony lives in New York and attends school in New Jersey. The commute often causes him to be late for work. Annoyed by his tardiness, his uncle reminds him that attending school would be futile because he would still remain undocumented when he graduates.
Unhappy, Tony starts looking for another job. He also thinks about returning to the Philippines. Nico, an illegal gun peddler, asks Tony to deliver guns to gangster kids for some quick cash. Tony hesitates.
One morning, Uncle Jun presses Tony to work faster to meet their deadlines. The two engage in a heated exchange. Uncle Jun yells at Tony and calls him names before furiously walking to another room.
As if in a daze, the voice of his uncle reverberates in Tony’s head while he stares at the gun in his hands. Gun shots are heard. Then, a furious voice echoes.
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
WHY ANOTHER IMMIGRANT STORY?
Immigration, while not a new topic, remains one of the most hotly-contested issues of our time. In the U.S., recent events related to the topic of immigration have moved votes, spilled guts and emotions, and prompted actions. It has both united and divided colleagues, friends, and families. Many fiction films and documentaries about immigration and immigrants have been produced with characters ranging from innocent children to overstaying tourists to your next-door neighbor trying to make ends meet to the farm workers and day laborers to victims of human trafficking to renowned personalities including a Pulitzer Prize winner. Yet, we are barely scratching the surface of the immigrants’ stories.
According to the 2012 census, estimates show that there were 308,827 known registered immigrants in the US during the time that the survey was taken. The actual number of immigrants in the US including the ones who were undocumented, of course, was hard to pin point due to the fact that many of them kept a low profile. To prove this point, the office of immigration statistics in the US reports that the Department of Homeland Security removed 419,000 foreign nationals in the same year. These numbers were way beyond the number of registered immigrants. Imagine the stories of each of the lives of these people. These were not just numbers. These were human beings, each with a story to tell.
Often, when we think of immigration issues, we think of race-related conflicts. We sometimes forget that while this is often true, it is not always the case or at least, not limited to that. Sometimes, immigrants also have to face issues that arise from their relationships within their own race, and even their own families. Immigration issues, while might not be as obvious to some, are also driven by economic systems that know no racial or familial bounds. TNT highlights the dynamics within the main character’s relationships with his relatives and friends, while at once placing it within the context of the broader issues that are part of the immigration problem; particularly, of those issues faced by the immigrants who are undocumented.
Making a movie is like flicking a lighter in a dark room. It only shows a portion of the big picture. TNT is but a part of the bigger story that needs to be told.
- Roberto Reyes Ang
PRODUCTION NOTES
HOW MUCH DID IT COST TO MAKE THIS MOVIE?
One of the frequently asked questions about a film is “how much did it cost to make this movie?” Let’s see. TNT cost a lot of love for the art, a lot of desire to tell a story, a lot of time, a lot of patience, a lot of trust, a lot of emotions, a lot of talent, a lot of humility, a lot of bouncing back, a part of each contributor’s soul, and a little bit of cash to feed the cast and crew (yes, no matter what happens, always feed the cast and crew!). In other words, TNT is priceless.
I’ve had the concept for this film for a very long time, but I did not get anywhere close to executing it until that day when I met the lead actor, Perry Escaño, at the International Film Festival Manhattan in 2012 where we were both screening our films.
Perry and I had a small talk during the festival mixer. When the conversation veered towards movies, he said “let’s make one.” I smiled and said: “that would be a great idea.” Perry was (and still is) an established actor based in Manila. I was a filmmaker who was barely getting by in New York. I was also on crutches at that time since I just got assaulted on the streets (that would be another story to tell in the future). I thought it was a nice gesture on his part, but I didn’t really think anything would come out of it.
The following night, I saw Perry at the mixer again. After a couple of drinks, he brought up the idea of making a movie once more. Perhaps, because of the alcohol, I slightly entertained the idea. A few more drinks and we were sealing the deal. I went home, wrote the script, took a nap, woke up still buzzed both from the alcohol and from the idea that we were actually going to make this movie, contacted people, and voila—we were on Day 1 of shooting. I shot with Perry for three days, and then he flew back to Manila. After that initial shoot, I polished the script and asked friends and total strangers to help me complete this project pro bono. We had delays along the way, but we trudged on. We survived a few moments of ups and down … and finally, TNT was born.
- Roberto Reyes Ang