28 Jul - "You get close to the person because you want to see his soul."



That is what award-winning filmmaker Brillante Mendoza said when asked to address criticisms from netizens about the shots he used to capture President Rodrigo Duterte during the recent State of the Nation Address (SONA).



Mendoza, who previously received backlash for his low angle experimental shots during last year's SONA, recently caught netizens' attention again for his many close-up shots that they have now dubbed "pores shots".



When asked to respond to the comments, Mendoza used the word "aesthetics of cinematography" to explain his method.



"It's in the interpretation. [...] You want to show his genuine sincerity. And that's what I want to show – his genuine sincerity, that he is looking [and] watching after the people. I mean, if we listen to what he's saying, he means business," he said.



However, there are no hard feelings on the director's side, as he stressed that he will respect other people's opinion.



"But I do hope they look at the direct message of the President, not the shot..." he said.



(Photo Source: gmanetwork.com)