Louie Ignacio’s suspense movie '40 Days' explores death, dementia, family drama

From the get-go, director Louie Ignacio was clear that “40 Days” was not about his family, or a depiction of his real life experiences, but admitted that he knew first-hand the feeling of having to deal with a family member suffering from dementia.

The multi-awarded film, television and music video director said his mother Fe, who was stricken with dementia, inspired him to make this family-centered psycho-thriller drama, which is not in the strictest sense a horror film.

His mother died last February at the age of 90 after several years of battling dementia, a medical condition characterized by loss of memory and other cognitive difficulties.

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“I’d like to be clear that this movie is not about my family or what happened to my mother, although this is inspired by her who has dementia,” he said at the story conference for “40 Days”. “So I know the feeling of pain of seeing your loved one lose their memory.”

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Ignacio said that fresh from the death of his mother, he used his pain as fuel to formulate and create an emotionally-charged whodunit film.

He said that he is excited to film the movie because he would be working alongside some of the most celebrated actors and actresses in local show business, some of whom he has already worked with in the past.

The movie, which they had began shooting only this week, boasts a cast of seasoned actors — Dina Bonnevie, Snooky Serna, Elizabeth Oropesa, Lotlot de Leon, Lloyd Samartino, Ricardo Cepeda, and Perla Bautista — and promising young artists — Diego Gutierrez, Damian Efergan, Franchezca Albo, Jayson David, and Yvone Asher.

The story begins with the mysterious death of the family matriarch Dolores Castro (Bautista), who is suffering from dementia. She leaves behind her children Rita (Bonnevie), Theresa (Oropesa), and Luna (de Leon), and a decaying ancestral home that reeks of deception and familial resentment. What would have typically happened in a Filipino household during the 40 days of death of a loved one shifts from memorial observances to suspicion and eventually a quest for answers to long-kept secrets.

Written by Jessie Villabrille, the movie is produced by LVD Management Corp.

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