YES! Magazine April, 2009

What goes on in the life of a man whose calling is the blood sport of cockfighting? Sabungero, a docudrama about the trials and tribulations of a cockfighting aficionado, hopes to answer that question.

“There are millions of Filipinos living and breathing sabong,” says director Rozie Delgado. “It’s been a part of our culture for centuries. It’s very Filipino, and yet there are hardly any films about it.

Direk Rozie say si t was the film’s producer, JC Bernardo, who had the idea of making a movie about cockfighting. “He is also a sabungero, and he realized that there are a lot of misconceptions about sabong,” she says.

As part of her pre-production research, Direk Rozie says she visited “countless” cockfighting arenas and farms and met with many sabungeros who introduced her to various breeds of fighting cocks. “I was surprised,” she says, “by the whole culture of sabong – the lifestyle of sabungeros, their lingo, and their passion for the sport.”

Sabungero is the first full-length film by Direk Rozie, whose previous works have been shorts and music videos. Co-director Miguel Kaimo and screenwriter Luz Inociain are likewise first-timers. The film, scheduled for release in the last quarter of 2009, stars Joel Torre, Ricky Davao, Noni Buencamino, Leo Martinez, Sid Lucero, Maritoni Fernandez, and Robert Arevalo.