MARIFE Necesito, who landed an important role in “Mammoth,” which stars Academy and Golden Globe Award nominee, Michelle Williams, and acclaimed actor Gael Garcia Bernal, shared with us the link to the trailer of her international film (posted on the bottom of this blog). “Mammoth” is the first English-language film of Swedish writer-director Lukas Moodysson.
As we reported earlier, in “Mammoth,” Marife plays Gloria, a mother of two sons who leaves the Philippines to work as the nanny of the daughter (Sophie Nyweide) of a successful New York couple, played by Gael and Michelle. When Gael’s businessman character goes to Thailand, he realizes that he wants to change his life. This development sets off a dramatic chain of events that impact the characters of Marife, Michelle and Sophie.
Marife informed us that she filmed her scenes in New York, Sweden and the Philippines, specifically in Subic and Bataan. The trailer of the film prominently features Marife, including an emotional scene where she speaks in Tagalog to her two sons on the phone. The two sons are also shown on a beach in the Philippines, as shot by Lukas’ cinematographer, Marcel Zyskind, whose credits include Angelina Jolie’s “A Mighty Heart.”
Marife shared that she had to dub a few of her lines in a dubbing studio in Makati. She also told us via e-mail that in anticipation of the film’s release early next year, she is doing phone interviews with the Swedish press, as arranged by Memfis Film, one of the production companies involved in the making of “Mammoth.”
The Filipina actress added that Lukas is still making final editing work on “Mammoth.” Lukas is the highly praised filmmaker of films like “Lilja 4-ever,” “Show Me Love” and “Together.” Lukas, who made the final decision to pick Marife for the part, was hailed by his esteemed compatriot, the late Ingmar Bergman, as a “young master.”
Marife said she enjoyed working with Michelle, whose credits include Ang Lee’s “Brokeback Mountain,” and Gael, the Mexican thespian who’s enjoying a sterling international career with such films as “Babel,” “The Motorcycle Diaries” and “Amores Perros.”
Here’s the link to the trailer.
June 22nd, 2009 at 4:12 pm
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May 12th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
Is that what you only see of her accomplishment? Her playing a housemaid character? And besides, have you been outside the Philippines? Is being a housemaid so bad?
May 12th, 2009 at 11:59 am
we should be proud of becuase of our filipinas abroad work as maid or nanny in other countries. we should not be humiliated of this kind of kind of job that we have. these people are great for our times. without them we could not show the real pinoys to other culture.
May 12th, 2009 at 11:46 am
why not? is there something derogatory with a noble job like that? is she a corrupt housemaid? or an abusive one?
May 10th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
Of course it is something to be proud of. Being a housemaid is decent honorable work. Would you rather have a film glorifying illegal drug trade in the Philippines or glorifying public officials on the take?
May 1st, 2009 at 7:35 pm
There’s nothing wrong with being a housemaid. It’s a decent job. Besides, OFW remittances help Filipino families and the Philippine economy.
April 23rd, 2009 at 1:20 am
Why Ren is being a housemaid is not a glorifying job? because she’s doing household chores. If that’s the case then being a housewife is a so so job which I refuse to believe.
April 19th, 2009 at 3:00 am
ya, i really don’t know what the fuzz is anyway.
April 15th, 2009 at 7:13 pm
Ren -
Maybe you have to accept the fact that we, the Philippines, produce and export nannies all over the globe on a daily basis.
For arguments sake, the right question to ask is - why are we allowing this as a nation???
April 9th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
What’s wrong about being a HOUSEMAID??? It is a decent job… It is a lot better that being a prostitute, swindler, etc.
April 8th, 2009 at 8:27 pm
It’s not what she’s acting for or being a housemaid in the film. The important thing is that, you should be proud of being part of an International production.
April 7th, 2009 at 8:38 am
Wala naman masama maging Domestic Helper di ba.. Its a clean and honest job that one should be ptoud of. I think its our politicians who should be ashamed of waht they do the country.
April 7th, 2009 at 12:35 am
OMG another film emphasizing filipinos as maids.. :c Im startin to feel so down bein a Filipino :C
April 1st, 2009 at 6:50 am
Whats wrong of being an international housemaid? Marangal na trabaho and one of the OFW who contributes to our resiliency reason against these Global crunch problem.
March 31st, 2009 at 10:02 am
in my personal opinion, the filipina actress is glorified for being a part of an international film.
Having a part as a housemaid, I think it won’t matter, even J-Lo did this kind of role right?
(Maid in Manhattan)
March 28th, 2009 at 10:58 am
have you seen the film? it depends on how the director/scriptwriter treats the character… i mean it’s just being truthful to what happens in the real world, there are several Filipina maids abroad… nothing new about that
March 19th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
Hello this is only a role , why ,Anything wrong being a nunny? Hello again even here in the United States they have a popular tv show Nunny but the lead actress is British meaning even British can do the job.Here in the states do you know that even american can do that job specially now that things has been change , life is not that easy to americans and a lot of people are homeless due to recession .Lets face it the image of filipina in England are housemaid and i dont see anything wrong with that, maybe in your house you have maid so whats seems to be the problem?
February 28th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
Ren: At isa pa Innggit ka lang kasi wala ka sa international film. heheheheh
February 11th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
Yeah you’re right ren, there’s nothing in the film that filipinos should be proud of.
It only emphasizes the fact that we are 3rd rate citizens.
February 10th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
Our Filipina actresses are mostly cast as either housemaids, bar girls, nurse, yaya, etc. This is how the western world sees our women…
February 6th, 2009 at 9:59 am
what’s new about seeing a pinay in an `international’ movie? i see lots of them. i remember one where this teen pinay was getting the tag-team treatment from 3 black guys. that was HOT!!!
February 5th, 2009 at 9:56 pm
@ren
Reality Bites… instead of being in denial. Its an accurate reflection of our current society.
February 2nd, 2009 at 10:42 am
Ren,
I guess I would say yes. Being a housemaid doesn’t necessarily mean being just a maid itself. It encompasses a different paradigm in the arena of giving genuine and persosnal care even to those people who aren’t your love ones.
Just thought I’d voice it out.
-Becky
January 27th, 2009 at 9:51 am
I think we should be proud of her. Making to the Hollywood’s big screen is a big opportunity from someone who belongs to a 3rd world country. Who knows if its just a beginning of her Hollywood success. Remember, big things come from a small beginning.
January 26th, 2009 at 2:47 am
to Ren:
and why shouldn’t we be proud of a Filipina being a maid?
January 25th, 2009 at 5:32 am
^^^ There is nothing demeaning with being an OFW or being a housemaid. It’s a decent job & it puts food on the table. In times of economic crisis, you are not in a position to be maarte or mayabang.
January 24th, 2009 at 4:37 pm
ren:
and who do you want to glorify, our POPULAR corrupt officials?
January 24th, 2009 at 2:22 am
Unless you can provide jobs here in the Philippines for all the filipino maids working abroad - then yes it is something to be proud of.
This is reality. It is a fact, a sad one though, that a lot of Filipinos work as domestic helpers abroad.
I suggest everyone check the link to the trailer and read all the comments made there before we get all defensive and cry foul over this movie.
January 23rd, 2009 at 3:25 am
I would love to see the movie and of course, I love to see Filipina or Filipinos on international movies of course. If Chinese actors/actresses could be famous, why not Filipinos?
@ren, not sure about the “gloriffication” on the trailer, unfortunately that’s an OFW fact. My cousin works as a domestic help in Toronto and we’ve visited them there. If you happen to walk into some of the upper class neighborhood in the city, you’d know what i mean.
Maybe after we watched the whole movie, it’s then that we can decide how the OFW was portrayed or what the director thinks about the situation.
January 22nd, 2009 at 5:29 pm
Pinay pang DH lang sa tate!
January 19th, 2009 at 8:37 pm
well, its not a big a deal whether a filipina is portrayed as a whatever. for as long as she can portray the role in a remarkable way, then why not.
January 19th, 2009 at 1:11 am
correction: *filipinos portrayed as housemaids.
January 19th, 2009 at 1:08 am
what’s wrong with filipinos portrayed as a housemaid? it’s a decent job. it’s one of the many things we filipinos are capable of. are you a domineering class A citizen or just plain stupid?
January 18th, 2009 at 5:24 am
Maid again,im sure they sh0t the film in the depress areas in the phils,sayang lng gnagastos ntn para sa advertisement na mganda ang pilipnas para mggrow tourism kc pg my m0vies gngawa dto puro squatter at khrapan pnpakita.Wlang mgnda!
January 16th, 2009 at 8:32 pm
ano naman masama sa pagiging housemaid?
January 14th, 2009 at 4:51 pm
we are not glorifying her for being a housemaid…. this is a fact so just accept the movie as is…. there’s no pride nor ego being trampled here
January 14th, 2009 at 6:43 am
what’s wrong with being a housemaid? it’s a noble job. besides, the article is about the actress who got an important role in this movie.
January 6th, 2009 at 10:38 am
To Ren: But that’s reality. If many Filipinas work abroad as housemaids, it’s not their fault, but the government’s for failing to provide them with opportunities to make a decent living here in the Philippines. We should be proud of these Filipinas, since they’re trying their best, sacrificing even their time with their families, to give their children better lives. Would you rather see them begging in the streets?
January 6th, 2009 at 1:54 am
whats the problem with being a “housemaid”?..whatever you do you must be proud of it…
January 4th, 2009 at 4:07 am
Whats wrong for a filipina of being a housemaid? Ren must have forgotten that they are also part of the OFW who are the unmentioned heroes of the philippines. even some of this overseas housemaids are qualified teachers who are making our country proud of their professions, some of the employers of this housemaids are quite thankful for some of them are quite thankful to hire this maids for they are hiring highly qualified maids and thats what makes them great, doing simple things greatly.
January 2nd, 2009 at 4:20 pm
let’s watch it first before we put our judgement on it. And so what if the Filipina plays a housemaid role? It is a movie and any actor on it was just given roles to play.
Let’s not start up from connotating a maid with less or totally nothing to be proud of.
Nakakapuwing ang maliliit
January 2nd, 2009 at 5:35 am
the film is not about the filipina maid. her character happens to play a pivotal role in the film.
December 31st, 2008 at 8:23 pm
What we are going to see is the plight of a Filipina becoming an international actress.That’s something to be proud of.
December 31st, 2008 at 8:03 am
Also, I appreciate the fact that the Filipino characters were made to speak in their language. Hail Filipino! Both the language and the person!
December 31st, 2008 at 8:00 am
Let us not be hypocrites. We know that we have a lot of of our fellow Filipinos who work abroad as DHs. We should be proud that for a key role in the film the production chose to cast a Filipina maid. I think this is because the Filipina maid’s experience (and the OFW’s in general) fit the storyline of the movie which according to the website is reminiscent of Babel but a tidier version of it). I commend Ms. Necesito for bagging the role and giving justice to the job which a lot of Filipinos do not appreciate and seem to be ashamed of.
December 31st, 2008 at 7:58 am
why sound so negative? are you saying that being a housemaid is a degrading job? don’t you think they have dreams? they have plans in life?
who do you like best? the tambay in front of the sari-sari store, not doing anything to better their life. or those, like the housemaids, that works, legal and moral, hard to have a better life?
i have a maid that works hard and in exchange i send her to college. once she’s finish with college she can have a different life. she has goals and plans to have a better life. isn’t it better? to do everything in your power, legal and moral, to reach your goal? and not be too choosy? not be stagnant and give up?
oh and the movie is about a Filipina getting into an international film. isn’t that something?
December 27th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
is this something to be proud of?? glorifying a filipina for being a housemaid??
BEING A HOUSEMAID SHOULD NOT BE A REASON TO DEMEAN OTHER PEOPLE.
EVEN HOW INOPPORTUNE OTHER PEOPLE’S WAY OF LIVING,THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE HONOURED AND RESPECTED!!
December 26th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
hahahahaha… ganyan talaga ang pinoy, basta’t maging part ng isang pelikula kasehodang housemaid ang papel sa pelikula, basta’t gawa ng PUTI ay ipag-sisigawan sa buong mundo na INTERNATIONAL actress na!.
December 26th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
@ren:
Definitely, yes.
Though ‘many’ have looked down at this profession, being a housemaid is something worth being proud of just like any other professions. And with a Filipina being a housemaid, what’s wrong with it?
@Mammoth, the movie:
Great movie! Hopefully, it’ll be shown in theaters here in the Philippines. And hopefully, it’ll make ‘others’ realize how noble and worthy of the Pinoy’s Pride Marife Necesito’s performance for the movie and the profession of being a housemaid. ^_^
December 22nd, 2008 at 12:47 pm
and what’s wrong with that? are you saying that filipinos should only be portrayed as doctors, engineers or rich socialites? and other than that is not something to be proud of? i guess we are all drowned with our insecurities. Jennifer Lopez played the role of a Mexican hotel maid in Maid of Honor, and there was nothing wrong with that because its reality. people should be proud of the fact that a lot of us here in abroad are working all types of job, regardless of how much we earn.. as long as its an honest one.
December 18th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
A nanny is different from a housemaid.
December 16th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
its not about “being a housemaid”, but being a good actress…being in a movie of international release….of being choosen to act opposite the best and the popular in holywood….
December 16th, 2008 at 6:45 am
Ren,
But it’s the truth! It’s a very decent job. Check Singapore and Hongkong on a good Sunday - very hard to miss.
Maybe you should tell all the macho men in the Philippines to man up and take care of their women.
So you won’t have to be ashamed of our sister workign as maids
December 15th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
With due respects, landing a film role - more especially, a lead role, like the subject of the write-up, requires quite high caliber of talent. The role is merely incidental. It’s the talent. The role just happens to be that of a housemaid. How the actor or actress delivers the performance required by the script is what counts. I have yet to see the movie but I trust, the role would not have been entrusted to that Pinay if the film mgt saw no good reason for her to give justice to the level of performance expected of her.
December 14th, 2008 at 11:15 pm
Great! Another Filipina Maid Story. Can she cook a mean Garlic Fried Rice in the movie?
December 11th, 2008 at 10:39 am
is there something wrong being housemaid? and so what if Filipino is known being a housemaid?
December 11th, 2008 at 7:14 am
well, ren, her name’s gloria…
besides, it’s only a movie.
the reality speaks better than this movie.
probably, you have forgotten that many of our countrymen work as housemaids. it’s not about being proud of it, but rather seeing the truth, it hurts, yes, but we have to live with it.
December 10th, 2008 at 1:40 am
and what’s wrong with being a housemaid???
December 9th, 2008 at 7:29 am
sadly, asians are either identified as housemaids or as prostitutes in most foreign films. i have yet to see a film where filipinos are portrayed differently. this very filipina aced her auditions, and i give her credit for taking this chance to act on the big screen, and the guts to do her own PR by informing a local biz writer. kudos!
December 2nd, 2008 at 5:17 pm
is this something to be proud of?? glorifying a filipina for being a housemaid??