Fascinating Women 2024: Record-Breaking TV and Film Director Mae Cruz-Alviar

Female directors are sometimes downplayed in the field, and there was a time when that was the case for Mae Cruz-Alviar. Starting out in showbiz may seem an easy choice to embark on, but truth be told—overnight success is often unheard of. “Because she’s a girl” remains an untamed phrase in many industries, and bridging the gap between men and women in the workplace is a movement many still advocate for to this day. 

“I would hear comments like ‘o, kaya niya ba ’yan? Kasi baka ibigay na lang natin ’yung action sa lalaki. Kasi lalaki, e. Action,’” the renowned director told Metro.Style in an exclusive interview. “‘Ah, wait. You know, give me a chance to do it. It doesn’t mean na just because babae ako, I won’t be able to do it.’”

Earning laurels throughout her directorial track like the recent box office-breaking, record-smashing Rewind (now the highest-grossing Filipino film of all time), after all, requires several decades of experience and determination. It takes grit and tenacity to build a name for oneself, and nobody becomes great if one wasn’t good first. 

“I think those were the comments na parang na-li-limit ka to what you can do—to just that na parang sasabihin, ‘O, ito na lang—the drama and the romance du’n sa girl, but don’t do na the action,” Direk Mae opened up. “‘Wait!’” she recalled, saying, “When I was starting out as a director du’n sa Pangako Sa’Yo of Jericho [Rosales] and Kristine [Hermosa]—nu’ng backpack director pa lang ako—the scenes that were given to me were the tracking shots.”

Reliving the scenes she shot for the hit 2000 series, Direk Mae highlighted: “So may mga chase scenes, may mga car chase. And parang natuwa ako na parang ‘uy, ang saya pala gawin ng mga car chase na ganiyan.’ So I watched movies na mayru’ng mga car chase. Parang na-inspire ako na gawin ’yun.”

Of course, chasing after her ambitions is harder than a pulling off a car chase scene—it’s taxing, never-ending, and nerve-wracking. Her world was always full of action. “It’s not a genre or something that I would say na mag-fo-focus ako, but to say that I cannot do it [action], that’s very limiting. I can do it; women can do it.”

Honoring her mentors

“I think in the next decade, there are going to be more women in positions of power,” Direk Mae claimed with conviction. “And I’m not just saying government; I’m saying like right now, you see a lot of women already rising, being in those positions—in top positions.”

Walking us through how she trekked her way up, the Filipina filmmaker looked back on the leaders that preceded her—top Filipino directors Marilou Diaz-Abaya, Laurice Guillen, Rory Quintos, Olivia Lamasan, Joyce Bernal, and Cathy Garcia-Sampana.

“I remember nu’ng nag-sta-start ako, they were saying that the female directors come in twos,” Direk Mae shared, in awe of the sporadic mushrooming of Filipina mavens in TV and film. “Now, suddenly, ang dami na naming female directors. Parang we don’t come in pairs anymore.”

Citing those who came after her with pride, Direk Mae also acknowledged what appears to be the future of blockbusters—Antoinette Jadaone, Dwein Baltazar, and Sigrid Bernardo. “I’m happy that there are more female directors. There are more women in power.”

From Direk Rory Quintos to Direk Olivia Lamasan, learning from women she looks up to is something that Direk Mae is thankful for. “I learned a lot of life lessons from them,” she said. “They’re also our ninangs sa kasal, so they’ve been guiding us and they check up on us.”

Debuting as an assistant director to Rory Quintos, Direk Mae imparted how working with the icon taught her lifetime takeaways. According to her, Rory’s approach shaped her discipline as a storyteller. “Naku, takot ang mga artista sa kaniya kasi talagang disciplinarian [siya],” she began. “She’s very strict; she’s very organized. I think ’yung organization—like how I study my scenes, how I take down notes, how I prepare—I got it from her.”

“Kay Direk Olivia Lamasan naman, I learned more sa creative side—sa writing. Kasi you know how she is, ’di ba? She’s a writer talaga. And as a writer and head of the creative department of Star Cinema before, I saw how she worked,” Direk Mae continued. “The training that I got on how to tell a story, how to create characters, and how to study the flow of stories, sa kaniya ko natutunan ’yun—mas natutunan.”

Being trained under the tutelage of key players kept Direk Mae’s feet on the ground. Through them, she realized that she is yet to collect years of new discoveries and breakthroughs.

“‘Pag mayru’n akong concern about work or even beyond work, I run to them. And so, what I learned from them, also, is humility,” Direk Mae added.

“They’re the first to bop me on the head. “‘Uy, ’wag kang magkakasungay’ or ‘hoy, remember, there are many monsters at work but don’t be the monster.’”

Keeping her feet on the ground

With recent projects 2 Good 2 Be True, Rewind, and Can’t Buy Me Love under her belt, any Mae Cruz-Alviar brainchild is undeniably remarkable. Making history in the highest-grossing Filipino film of all time, for one, is one gambling move in the Philippine entertainment scene. “You know, there’s a whole lot of choices out there. Sobrang daming options. You want to watch streaming, ang dami ng sites—even on Facebook; even on TikTok.”

“Ang dami mo nang mapapanood na even shorts, right? So it’s a very challenging time for film—for content creators—because there’s so much competition,” she pondered. “There are a lot of voices out there, and for your voice to stand out, you really have to think about what you’re going to say. Kasi otherwise, you’re just going to get drowned out. And I think that’s a challenge, but it’s a good challenge.”

Sinking her teeth into tales and stories, making shows and movies that the audience will take with them for a long time, and taking on challenges after challenges in the industry are all instrumental to Direk Mae’s ascent to the limelight. “You have to always be relevant... You have to be in touch with what’s going on. It’s a trying time for films, especially, because there’s a lot of free content. So what will make people go and pay and watch?”

Her family-oriented film Rewind is cut out for that criteria. The blockbuster hit has been raking in recognition, and even made it to the Philippine Senate for its exemplary achievements in the local arena. In his Senate Resolution No. 909, Sen. Robin Padilla emphasized the film’s role in revitalizing the Philippine film industry.

“‘Oh my gosh! Nasa Senate [tayo]? Umabot tayo ng Senate?’ It was such a surreal moment! In fact, even days after, I still couldn’t believe it,” she narrated. “We gave our best. It’s such a cliché saying [this] but ‘do your best and God will do the rest.’”

Despite being decorated for her talent, though, Direk Mae remains true to her relationships and core values. As a creative, she is headstrong; but as a human, her edges soften up. “I know that we work long hours but you know, parang when we have free days, [I tell my team]: ‘Uy, if you want to start the meetings early para you have the rest of the day, then okay. You know, spend time with your family.’”

As much as Direk Mae appreciates her craft, she also makes it a point to recognize people. To her, what she achieved as a director is actually what her whole team has worked hard for. She shared, “I know that this isn’t just me. This is a collective effort. I can’t attribute it to just myself. One, you have a whole team behind you helping you create the story. Next, I really attribute it to God kasi I offer it to Him and then, ‘Bahala Ka na. I’ll just do my best and it’s up to You.’” 

“Every time, especially for Rewind, I feel like it’s such a miracle,” she harked back. “There were a lot of challenges and we overcame them. And I know that this isn’t me; this is a greater being at work. So that keeps me grounded. This isn’t me. I’m just a vessel. The experience that I went through to get here wasn’t easy. You don’t get here in a snap. There’s a lot of hard work involved. There was a lot of heartache.”

Once a neophyte in the open sea not knowing how to swim, Direk Mae knows and understands how it is to be undermined. “Siguro that’s why I’m very patient with co-workers or actors na parang sa onset, sasabihin nila, ‘Hindi naman magaling, ’wag nang kunin ’yan’ or ‘Hay naku, last project na ’yan.’ Wait, I wasn’t ‘magaling’ when I started! People grow. People change. People learn.”

“That keeps me grounded,” she carried on, clamoring for emotional intelligence and empathy. “I was also a newbie once. I was also somebody who didn’t know a lot. I got a lot of beating before because of that. And now, it’s time to give back. Be patient with others who are also trying their best. Be patient with people who also want to achieve something. And you know, they’re not yet equipped. But in time, they will be.”

Starting from the bottom

A fan of the films Bagets and When Harry Met Sally… and love teams like Gabby Concepcion-Sharon Cuneta, it’s no surprise that a Mae Cruz-Alviar is now a steward of top-performing projects. She cooks up rom-coms for a living, and is loving every second of her embarkation in a sailing ship called “directing.”

Her climb, though, didn’t turn out to be as smooth as butter. She had to endure what looks like an endless staircase of rejections and struggles, going back and forth between the good and the ugly.

Upon graduating from the University of the Philippines with a Film and Audiovisual Communication major, a giddy Mae started to shoot for the stars. In the past, she started out as a production assistant, arriving at the doorstep of ABS-CBN’s Star Cinema. “I really wanted to get into a film outfit because back then, we didn’t have as many opportunities,” she declared.

“Back then, to be able to direct, you have to join a film outfit. You have to start from the bottom. To fund your own film—to make your own film—Diyos ko, imposible, unless you’re super rich and kaya mo ’yun.”

From dressing up Barbies to joining the drama club, Direk Mae boarded her first big project with cream-of-the-crop producers and directing masters Peque Gallaga and Lore Reyes. She decided, “‘Puwede bang assistant director ako kaagad?’ And I was just a fresh graduate then. Then they said, ‘You know, start as a PA [production assistant], because when you’re a PA, you get a full view of all the other responsibilities.’”

“So I started from the bottom talaga. I started as a PA doing all the dirty work. So isa ko du’n sa mga nagbibilang ng baterya, ng masking tape. My job as a junior PA was to make sure na ’yung catering—’yung food—was enough for everyone. So I was in the jeep na nag-se-serve du’n sa crew, and I was making sure na tama ’yung bilang of the trays that were coming out. And in fact, I would help. Magtatakal ako ng rice or ng soup or ng food.”

Working her way up from production assistant to script continuity supervisor and assistant director to director, Direk Mae knew how to keep the ball rolling. Her baby steps suddenly matured into a more formed footprint, leaving a trail of lessons she will definitely hold dear forever. “After that, I was sure I wanted to be a director, but I was familiar with the job of all the other roles. Because I did all those roles—I know I can take over.”

Heading in the right direction

“I remember one director told me, sabi niya, ‘Alam mo, ’yang si Cathy Garcia-Molina [now Cathy Garcia-Sampana], kaya ’yan napakagaling na director, kasi ang dami niyang pinagdaanan sa buhay. Kaya ’yan malalim, kaya she knows the emotions well, kaya ang husay niya,’” Direk Mae recited, as if the words are ringing in her ears.

Expressing her disappointment, she questioned her directorial capabilities. Likening her childhood life to that of the Partridge family, she took the comment to heart and caught herself in a surrendering stance. “’Yung question ko was, ‘Pa’no ’yun? Wala akong pinagdaanan sa life. Should I blame my parents and my family for being normal and being happy?’ Kasi wala tuloy akong baon, wala akong karga.

“I remember, a friend of mine said, ‘Alam mo, kayo ’yung weird. Because ang normal ngayon, ’yung mga hiwalay na ’yung families or ’yung mayru’ng second family, third family, or parang single mom. That’s more common now. Kaunti na lang ’yung talagang purely parang happy and normal lang.’”

Taken aback, Direk Mae turned to her inner musings. Inspiring others through her outlook sounded like a plan, letting her story and her family background become a fuel to her positive storytelling. “This is not a detriment or hindi siya kabawasan sa’kin just because I come from a normal and happy family. I want people to be inspired by it to continue having that and for you to look at your parents, your brothers, your sisters, your husband, [and] your wife in a loving way.”

Her passion in directing, which is driven by purpose, was bound to materialize through her movies. Her eye for creativity and excellence accompanied her all along, eventually finding the path to her first ever project as a director. In 2002, through Maalaala Mo Kaya, Direk Mae debuted Kurtina, an episode starring Marvin Agustin and Jhong Hilario.

Exciting as it may be, Direk Mae wasn’t matching the energy of the good news at all. A new gate to entry just opened, and jump-starting her directorial dreams were simpler, but she cannot be at her sunniest state. “The initial feeling, I think, was [sadness]. I was sad that my dad wasn’t alive anymore, because my dad was my number one talagang taga-push. My dad was really the one giving me nuggets of wisdom—pushing me and encouraging me even when things were difficult.”

“Kasi siyempre, when you’re starting out—when you start from the bottom—siyempre, ang liit ng suweldo. Mas malaki pa ’yung allowance ko sa suweldo ko. Then siyempre, nadidiyahe ako sa parents ko that parang ‘oh, I’m not contributing’ or ‘I’m not earning as much,’” Direk Mae furthered.

“The advice of my dad was, ‘Do it while you don’t have financial responsibilities to anyone. You’re not married yet. You don’t have to pay for your own place, your education. Do it while you can. And remember that you can’t put a price tag on experience. What they’re giving you is experience, and that’s something that you can take with you till forever. So the experience that you’re going to get from them is priceless.’”

Having listened to her father and life mentor, Direk Mae made herself a name. She felt the need to dedicate something to her dad as she broke out from her shell, but it was only through her own reflection that he could truly rest. She said, “He encouraged me so much and it was just sad that he didn’t get to see the day that my name would be written as ‘directed by Mae Cruz.’ And so that’s why my first episode was dedicated to him. The story that I did was inspired by his story.”

Jumping from one job to another without a guarantee, Direk Mae almost withdrew from the directing world. She thought she was tailing the wrong job at the wrong time, and doubts trickled down her mind. Was she really meant for it? Was she doing it right? Was it the right dream?

“Nu’ng [nasa] script con ako, the director was furious—always getting mad every shot,” she recalled. “By midnight, I was resigning. Sabi ko, ‘I think I’m not cut out to be a script continuity [supervisor].’ And there goes my dream to become a director. And maybe I’ll just go back to being a production assistant.”

She added, “And then my associate producer said, ‘Mae, don’t just give up after one day of not performing. Keep trying, and then if after this whole project, you realize it’s not for you, then that’s when you give up.’”

Waiting for her big break to wield its sword and stop her from overthinking and overanalyzing, the damsel-in-distress in her raised her voice. Direk Mae narrated, “‘Wait. Am I really cut out for this? Baka mamaya, I’m just really pushing it. Baka pinipilit ko lang. Baka mamaya, I love it but it doesn’t love me back.’

“So I was directing; I was co-directing. Always second unit; never had my own film. Management would send me to a master class under Direk Marilou Diaz-Abaya. And then, parang feeling ko, ‘Maybe I still have to learn. Baka marami pa akong kailangang matutunan. Baka hilaw ako when I was launched.’”

From one director to the other—offering after offering—it seemed as if the staircase saw no end. Direk Mae was nearing a shutdown, and she was trying to prove things that are out of her control.

She took blow after blow and beating after beating until ultimately, she made peace with herself and her “mistakes.”

“You have to keep proving yourself. And I think that’s how it is—from then till now—you just have to keep proving yourself. You can’t just rest on your laurels,” she worded, laying her worries down at the time of difficulty. “Kasi parang feeling ko, ‘I’ll do whatever it takes. I’ll do whatever it takes to become a director—to have my own film.’”

Direk Mae added, sharing words of wisdom for everyone, “Even if I’m already a director, I still have that mantra. ‘Keep learning. Never stop learning. Always be a student.’”

Rewind, starring Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera and directed by Mae Cruz-Alviar, is now streaming on Netflix.

Producer and interviewer: Grace Libero-Cruz

Photography by Pat Buenaobra

Shot on location at Moda Interni 

Special thanks to Jenica Chuahiock of Moda Interni