The Kingdom: Even A Ruling Family Has Its Conflicts
In an exclusive interview with Modern Parenting, director Mike Tuviera shares the inspiration behind the film and the dynamics of a family that is torn between tradition and modern way of ruling its people
The Metro Manila Film Festival opened on December 25 with films for family and friends to watch. One of the films is The Kingdom, starring Vic Sotto and Piolo Pascual. It revolves around the Nandula family led by Lakan Makisig (Vic Sotto), who must choose a ruler from his three kids. He later encounters Sulo (Piolo Pascual), who will play a big role after their meeting.
The plot of the story has been kept under wraps but based from the trailer, there’s a lot of what ifs to think about.
Modern Parenting interviewed director Mike Tuviera about family conflicts, the clash of tradition and contemporary ways, and what he hopes viewers will get when they watch the film.
The Inspiration for The Kingdom
Some may see The Kingdom as political. Direk Mike pointed out, that there’s more to it.
“We were fascinated with some unique aspects of Philippine politics, most notably in rural areas where political families are able to maintain power across generations,” he shared. “It has echoes of a feudal system, and we tried to imagine what it would be like if the whole country was run that way. What would the Philippines be like if we were under a monarchy? What if we were never colonized, never been conquered? What would our world look like? That was the spark that started the creation of the movie.”
Clashes are part of any story, and The Kingdom has a lot of it as the Lakan finds himself torn between choosing a ruler among his kids and facing the new ways brought by modernity. This is summarized in the theme song “Magkabilaan” by Joey Ayala, which direk Mike said was given a fresh take.
“There is light, and there is dark. There are the rich, and there are the poor. There are the powerful, and there are the oppressed. The film has different iterations of this conflict, from a class struggle to actual physical battles that happen in the movie.”
The Central Theme of The Kingdom Movie: Family
The Kingdom dives into the story of a royal family, the Nandulas. Aside from choosing a ruler among the children, the kids themselves—Bagwis, Matimyas, and Lualhati— struggle not just within the family but also outside of it.
According to Direk Mike, these struggles are essential. ” It is the dynamics, conflicts, and love that occur in a Filipino family, just magnified times 10 because they happen to be the ruling family of the country. There are huge repercussions for every action and decision the King and his children make.”
“The children have their conflicts and challenges as well. How do you remain a good father to your family while having the incredible responsibility of being a father to the country as well?”
The good thing about doing the roles was that many of his cast members – Vic, Piolo, Cristine Reyes, and Sid Lucero are parents themselves, which helped them immersed into their respective roles.
“We would each talk about our experiences as fathers and mothers and sons and daughters,” direk Mike recalled of the conversations. “The very fabric of their characters is about that aspect of our lives, and I wanted their performances to be informed by the familial bonds with their own families.”
Embracing the modern and traditional ways of running a country
Ruling a country can be challenging, especially when modern and traditional ways clash. In The Kingdom, the Nandulas find themselves between these two styles.
“Like any monarchy, the rulers straddle the delicate balance between observing age-old tradition, which is the foundation of their power, and modernity, which is what makes them relatable to the citizenry. The royal family, especially the King himself, is beholden, maybe you can even say he is captive, to tradition,” Direk Mike explained.
“But any country, even a monarchy, needs to accept the inevitable waves of change. If they adhere too strictly to the past, they risk alienating themselves from their followers.”
“That’s what makes the characters in The Kingdom so fascinating. They go through remarkable events in their lives and shape the very fate of a country, but remain ever relatable as father, mother, daughter, and son.”
In any film, there will be lessons one can pick up. What does Direk Mike want the audience to get from the movie when they watch it? He went back to the importance of the family.
“I want people to remember the strength of familial ties. It is a very Filipino trait and inherent in our culture and structure. When a family is strong, they can remain resilient and defy any obstacles. If there are cracks within a family, they can lead to bigger problems down the road,” he said.
“Family is our greatest strength and one of the best aspects of our identity,” he concluded.
The Kingdom is one of the 10 films shown until January 7 in cinemas.
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