MANILA, Philippines — Historical accuracy is key in a period drama. The people behind the first Netflix-GMA collaboration, “Pulang Araw,” detailed the challenges of building the world for what has been touted as the “most important series of 2024,” transporting us back in time, particularly during the World War II years.
Directed by Dominic Zapata and written by Suzette Doctolero, “Pulang Araw” chronicles the intertwining lives of Adelina (Barbie Forteza), Teresita (Sanya Lopez), Hiroshi (David Licauco), and Eduardo (Alden Richards) during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. Their characters get caught up in a complex web of loyalty, betrayals, sacrifices against the backdrop of a war ravaging the country. It will premiere first on Netflix on July 26, 72 hours before airing on free TV.
The Kapuso network is no stranger to historical dramas, from “Amaya,” “Ilustrado” to the recent megahit “Maria Clara at Ibarra,” which also became one of the most-watched titles on Netflix Philippines. These kinds of shows are always “expensive” in terms of production cost, confirmed GMA vice president for Drama Cheryl Ching-Sy, and that “Pulang Araw” is no different.
“The production cost is comparable to GMA’s previous period dramas, considering factors such as location shoots, costumes, set construction, special effects and talents. While detailed budget allocations and the scale of production elements may vary, the overall investment aligns with the high standards GMA sets for all of its projects,” she told The STAR in an exclusive interview.
The TV executive admitted that one of the biggest challenges of mounting “Pulang Araw” was finding the 1940s-appropriate sets.
“The main challenges were the scarcity of period-appropriate locations and the fact that some suitable sites were not open to taping,” she said.
The production, nevertheless, managed to identify multiple locations for its storytelling. Said Ching-Sy, “The production team traveled across the country to find the perfect locations to recreate the 1940s era. Tapings took place in Quezon (Sariaya, Lucban), Batangas (Taal, Lipa), Manila (Intramuros, Escolta), Laguna (Los Banos), Bulacan (Calumpit), and Pampanga (Apalit, Mexico), among others. We are still taping as the program airs, so the next locations are yet to be determined,” she further told this paper.
While they taped on-location at historical spots that still exist today, others had to be recreated and reimagined with the help of visual effects.
“If the actual locations where the historical incidents or events occurred still exist, such as UP Los Banos and Fort Santiago, we tape at those sites. If the locations no longer exist, we find places that closely resemble the original based on our research and consultations with historians,” she said.
“When neither option is available, we construct our own sets and use detailed video graphics to recreate the locations as accurately as possible,” she added.
Attention to detail is one of the things noteworthy about the project. Zapata said that while he has directed period works such as “Zorro” in 2009, those series weren’t location-specific unlike “Pulang Araw.”
The director cited as an example how they aimed for accuracy in recreating Plaza Sta. Cruz.
As shown in a teaser trailer, “binuo namin for example yung Plaza Sta Cruz, hindi naka-indicate dun, but Plaza Sta. Cruz… then Sta. Cruz Church … that is practically true to state. If you see the details of the building, tama yun,” he said.
“Meron duon sa Rivoli Theater, na naging Tivoli Theater siya mid-30s, was an establishment. If you look at the details… katabi dun is a small store that says Joe Bush. Gumagawa sila tailoring and dye. Yung dye na yun, ito yung tinatawag now na Dyobus, which used to be Joe Bush. So it’s things like that.”
What contributed immensely to the world-building are “actual references ng mga lugar na yun. There’s historical footage to match that,” according to Zapata.
The production team of the historical series, ‘Pulang Araw,’ traveled across the country to find the perfect locations to help recreate the 1940s era. Photos on this page show the different scenes in the upcoming series as teased in the official trailer.
“Ano yung mga sinira nung panahon na ‘ito. At some point, when we reach Week 4 or Week 5 (of the show), up to that hour, up to the minute, kung ano ang binomba (whatever structures were destroyed), whatever happened in Manila, in Clark, in Davao, naka ora-orada na yun, so kailangan bantay kami,” Zapata said.
“Tinitingnan ko pa kung anong oras sumikat yung araw sa Davao, in 1941, Dec. 8. So nung dumating ang mga airplane, ano itsura ng langit? That’s how specific we got.”
Talking more about the efforts and resources that GMA had to pour into producing “Pulang Araw,” Zapata made it clear, “hindi pa para ipagyabang ko pa na wow nahirapan (kami),” as he reflected on what Filipinos suffered and endured during wartime.
“So parang in passing lang ginagawa natin ‘to. If there’s an opportunity for us na mahirapan, then let’s embrace it because it will make us feel less guilty for living at a time na maginhawang maginhawa yung buhay natin.
“Na nung nagkabunutan, nilagay ka ni Lord sa 2024 at hindi sa 1940s kasi napakahirap… So the least we can do… nauna ka bang binunot kay sa akin, sige, i-ho-honor ko kayo.”
For Zapata, more than the production value, it’s the message and intention that weigh more heavily for him — to honor the memory of the heroes of that important time in Philippine history.
“It’s been said — I think it was Ernest Hemingway who’s been credited to have said this — that man lives and dies twice. (There are) two deaths. First death is when your heart stops beating and the second time you die is when your name is spoken for the last time. When no one remembers you, that’s when you infinitely die,” he reflected.
The director said they can’t name every hero who sacrificed their lives during the World War II in this series, but “even though we may forget their names, we don’t want to forget their stories because there’s so much to learn from those heroes.”
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