Priests solve murders

INTRODUCTION

The new movie Smaller and Smaller Circles, based on the award-winning novel, highlights the fictional investigative prowess of two Jesuit priests who solved a series of murders in a slum neighborhood in the capital of the Philippines.

WRITTEN BY

SHARE THE WORD

PUBLISHED ON

When a murder happens, what would you expect the Catholic Church to do? Some would say that it will offer a prayer, release a statement, or even hold a vigil. However, would you believe it if they got down to it and discovered who killed the victims? This is the plot of F.H. Batacan’s mystery novel that is now being turned to a movie entitled Smaller and Smaller Circles.

Two Jesuits priests, Fr. Gus Saenz and Fr. Jerome Lucero, were asked by the Director of the Philippines’ National Bureau of Investigation for help when boys went missing, then found dead and mutilated in their neighborhood at the Payatas dumpsite in Metro Manila.

At first, the police force was reluctant to say that it was the work of a serial killer, as a character did say that there are no serial killers in the country. However, as another body turned up in the mountain of trash, Fr. Saenz convinced them that the killer was just one and the same. Smaller and Smaller Circles moves to excite readers and viewers too.

A priest for an investigator? That seemed like a novelty! This is one of the things that got Ria Limjap, producer and one of the screenwriters of the movie adaptation, curious. “I’m not sure if there are any crime-solving Jesuits out there,” she said. “But if there are Jesuits who are also scientists, lawyers, linguists, etc., so why not a forensic anthropologist (Father Gus) or a clinical psychologist (Father Jerome)?”

 

How it started

Limjap bought a copy of the international edition of the novel in a book festival in August of 2015. After going through the crime thriller from cover to cover, the words and the writing style of the female writer won her over as she thought that it would actually make a great film. “The way F.H. Batacan wrote the novel is very cinematic,” she commented.

Limjap, who served as associate producer on the acclaimed movie Heneral Luna, talked to friends Raya Martin (the director) and Moira Lang (the co-writer and co-producer) who had already read the novel. Then she approached Ms. Batacan and submitted a proposal to the publisher.

After getting the green light for the project, the award-winning author acted as consultant to Limjap and Lang who were writing the screenplay. The screenwriters and the director confessed that they loved the book so much that they wanted to stay true to the source material as much as possible.

Limjap shared: “It’s understandable that, in a film adaptation, you cannot put a hundred percent of the book into the screenplay. It’s impossible. Literature and cinema are not the same –different conventions, different ways of conveying the story. So we had to decide on what to keep, and what not to include – remembering that we want to tell a cohesive story and make a good film.”

With this in mind, Limjap made sure that the revisions were really necessary. She revealed: “We made some changes not because they were hard to bring to life on screen but because they had to be made more appropriate for the medium – for instance, some details had to be changed to make them more visual, more cinematic.” Some of them included changing some male characters into female characters or vice versa, and even changing a clue.

 

Actors

Next, Limjap and Martin talked about casting the main role of Fr. Gus Saenz which went to Nonie Buencamino. “When Raya and I were first discussing actors for certain roles, we immediately thought of Nonie Buencamino who is really one of the best actors we have around today,” Limjap said. “We had both worked with him before, and we felt that no one else could bring the right gravitas, sensitivity and intelligence to the role – also, Nonie is a deeply spiritual person.”

As for the role of Fr. Jerome Lucero, they had Sid Lucero in mind. “Sid Lucero is an amazing actor – one of the best in his generation – and we love the way he is intense and yet totally natural. Raya had worked with Sid in his acclaimed film Independencia and we had just seen him in the wonderful Apocalypse Child where he played a surfer. We also thought Sid would make a really hot priest!”

 

Angry about corruption

Smaller and Smaller Circles is widely regarded as the first Filipino crime novel. Batacan wrote on the acknowledgments part of the book: “The first time I wrote this book – in 1996, when I was in my mid-twenties – I was angry: angry about my job, about the state of my country, about the callousness, complacency, and corruption that had dragged it there. The second time I wrote this book – in 2013, in my forties, having moved back home with my infant son – I found myself even angrier about the state of my country, which seemed even worse that it was in 1996, and about the callousness, complacency, and corruption that kept it there.”

 

Popular bestseller

Batacan shared with a group of writers last year: “There will be people who will say your work is “problematic,” who will insist that writing crime fiction in the Philippines is pointless, that you will only be aping Western writers. There will be those who say that you cannot speak for the common Filipino, nor understand either the common Filipino criminal or victim.”

Even with a few detractors, Smaller and Smaller Circles has been growing in popularity, topping the bestseller list in local bookstores. Some readers even wonder if they may come across with the two Jesuit priests again. Well, Batacan read an excerpt of the prequel that she was working on last year during a book signing of Smaller and Smaller Circles in Makati. That says something about the direction of Fr. Saenz and Fr. Lucero.

Although there is no release date yet for the film, the producers are sure that new and old fans of the book will get to see the movie adaptation of the acclaimed mystery novel later this year.

Limjap shared: “We hope the audience will be receptive to a film like Smaller and Smaller Circles – the first Filipino crime story, a Western-style procedural set within the Philippine context. We hope it will make people sit up and pay attention – look closely, listen carefully, and realize things about society that we’ve chosen to ignore.”

Share Your Thoughts

All comments are moderated

From The Same Issue

The articles and content about this issue

From The Same Issue

The articles and content about this issue

WM Special

The three little shepherds

Life's Essentials

Stay healthy

From This Topic

The articles and content about this topic

From This Topic

The articles and content about this topic

Filipino Focus

Tough Love

Explore Other Topics

Browse other coverage

Explore Other Topics

Browse other coverage

WM SPECIAL

Presents, discusses and draws readers to reflect on issues of outmost relevance to the world today.


FRONTIERS

Very often, mission is carried out in frontier situations around the world. Those who embrace these situations have much to share.


UNITY IN DIVERSITY

Writer Ilsa Reyes will be exploring the richness of Pope Francis’s latest encyclical Fratelli Tutti with a view of helping our readers to get a grasp of the this beautiful papal document.


FRONTLINE

Puts to the front committed and inspiring people around the world who embrace humanitarian and religious causes with altruism and passion.


IN FOCUS

Focus on a given theme of interest touching upon social, economic and religious issues.


FAITH@50

As the Philippines prepares to celebrate 500 years of the arrival of Christianity. Fr. James Kroeger leads us in this series into a discovery journey of the landmark events in the history of faith in the Philippine archipelago.


INSIGHT

Aims to nurture and inspire our hearts and minds while pondering upon timely themes.


FILIPINO FOCUS

The large archipelago of the Philippines, in its richness of peoples and cultures, offers varied and challenging situations for mission.


FOLLOW ME

Reflections and vocation stories that shape up the lives of young people.


MISSION IS FUN

As humor and goodness of heart are qualities of Christian and missionary life, the new column “Mission is fun” will be publishing some anecdotes and stories that have happened in a missionary context to lighten up the spirits and trigger a smile in our faces.


LIVING COMMUNION

To help readers of World Mission live this year dedicated to Ecumenism, Interreligious Dialogue and Indigenous Peoples, Tita Puangco, writer and lecturer, shares in this section insights on the spirituality of communion.


WINDS OF THE SPIRIT

A historic view of the Catholic movements that emerged from the grassroots as an inspiration by the Holy Spirit.


BRIDGE BUILDERS

On the Year of Ecumenism, Interreligious Dialogue and Indigenous Peoples, radio host and communicator Ilsa Reyes, in her monthly column, encourages Christians and people of good will to be one with their fellow people of other sects, religions and tribes.


INTERVIEW

Questions to a personality of the Church or secular world on matters of interest that touch upon the lives of people.


WORLD TOUCH

News from the Church, the missionary world and environment that inform and form the consciences.


CARE OF THE EARTH

A feature on environmental issues that are affecting the whole world with the view of raising awareness and prompting action.


EDITORIAL

The editor gives his personal take on a given topic related to the life of the Church, the society or the world.


YOUNG HEART

A monthly column on themes touching the lives of young people in the Year of the Youth in the Philippines by radio host and communicator I lsa Reyes.


SCROLL

A missionary living in the Chinese world shares his life-experiences made up of challenges and joyous encounters with common people.


EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE

Life stories of people who deserve to be known for who they were, what they did and what they stood for in their journey on earth.


ONE BY ONE

Stories of people whom a missionary met in his life and who were touched by Jesus in mysterious ways.


INCREASE OUR FAITH

Critical reflection from a Christian perspective on current issues.


SPECIAL MOMENTS

Comboni missionary Fr. Lorenzo Carraro makes a journey through history pinpointing landmark events that changed the course of humanity.


PROFILE

A biographical sketch of a public person, known for his/her influence in the society and in the Church, showing an exemplary commitment to the service of others.


WM REPORTS

Gives fresh, truthful, and comprehensive information on issues that are of concern to all.


LIFE'S ESSENTIALS

A column aimed at helping the readers live their Christian mission by focusing on what is essential in life and what it entails.


ASIAN FOCUS

Peoples, events, religion, culture and the society of Asia in focus.


THE SEARCHER'S PATH

The human heart always searches for greatness in God’s eyes, treading the path to the fullness of life - no matter what it takes.


INDIAN FOCUS

The subcontinent of India with its richness and variety of cultures and religions is given center stage.


AFRICAN FOCUS

The African continent in focus where Christianity is growing the fastest in the world.


JOURNEY MOMENTS

Well-known writer and public speaker, Fr. Jerry Orbos, accompanies our journey of life and faith with moments of wit and inspiration based on the biblical and human wisdom.


IGNATIUS STEPS

On the year dedicated to St. Ignatius of Loyala, Fr. Lorenzo Carraro walks us through the main themes of the Ignatian spirituality.


THE SEVEN LAST WORDS OF JESUS

Fr. John Taneburgo helps us to meditate every month on each of the Seven Last Words that Jesus uttered from the cross.


INSIDE THE HOLY BOOK

In this section, Fr. Lorenzo delves into the secrets and depths of the Sacred Scriptures opening for us the treasures of the Sacred Book so that the reader may delight in the knowledge of the Word of God.


CONVERSATIONS

Reflections about the synodal journey on a conversational and informal style to trigger reflection and sharing about the synodal path the Church has embarked upon.

Shopping Cart