Arnel Pineda “Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey”

Arnel Pineda “Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey”

Interview with the Director of doc about Filipino lead singer of iconic rock band Journey

Journey in Manila, in the film DON’T STOP BELIEVIN’: EVERYMAN’S JOURNEY, a Cinedigm/ Docurama Films release 2013. Photo courtesy of Ferdie Arquero and Nomota LLC

By Dyan Ruiz

The documentary “Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey” chronicles the fairytale rise of the new Filipino lead singer of the iconic American band, Journey.

Arnel Pineda was discovered singing some of the band’s greatest hits like “Don’t Stop Believin” and “Any Way You Want It” on YouTube singing for a cover band in Manila. Journey was ready to revive the band for a new tour and album, but had yet to find a new lead singer. At the eleventh hour, Neal Schon, lead guitarist, songwriter, and the only consistent member of the band since its inception in San Francisco in 1973, clicked on one of Pineda’s performances, and the rest is rock and roll history.

We talked with Ramona Diaz, the pinay director, writer and producer, about the uplifting documentary that turns a great hook into a touching film following the amazingly humble and charming Pineda on his rollercoaster journey among classic rock legends.

The documentary is having its Canadian premiere at the Reel Asian Film Festival on Nov. 9 and 10 with Diaz in attendance.

Director Ramona S. Diaz. Photo courtesy of Roy Cox

Q. Were you a Journey fan growing up?

A. I was certainly very familiar with their music, but I can’t say I was a fan, fan. I’ve seen the fans. The fans are very loyal. They’re like Dead Heads. They follow Journey all summer long.

Q. You got incredible access in this movie, from the start, it looks like. How did that come about?

A. It’s really just persistence. You get, “No” a lot of the times, but you try not to hear the “No.” Pretty soon they understood that we weren’t out to get them, to get those “gotcha” moments. We weren’t TMZ.

Q. When you think of a rock band on tour, you think of drugs, sex and drinking, but the movie shows the band and Arnel in a mostly positive light. Were there things that you saw that didn’t end up in the film?

Arnel Pineda performs with Journey in Manila, in the film DON’T STOP BELIEVIN’: EVERYMAN’S JOURNEY, a Cinedigm/ Docurama Films release 2013. Photo courtesy of Ferdie Arquero and Nomota LLC

A. No, I mean you have to realize this band has been touring forever, over 30 years now. They’re like a well-oiled machine. They’ve done all that. They’re also a little bit older. A lot of them– Neal especially– are recovering. There was never any alcohol backstage. They’ve done all the clichés of a rock and roll band. And in a way, so has Arnel.

It’s really surprising how people have one narrative for a rock and roll band and the minute you don’t see it, people are saying it mustn’t be in the film for some reason. There are many narratives for rock bands, not just one.

Q. It was interesting to hear people talk candidly about their doubts because he was Filipino, or essentially non-white nor American. How did Arnel handle the cultural pressures?

A. I think at some point he had to turn it off or it would derail him. A lot of the vicious talk came from blogs so he knew he had to turn it off. Otherwise, whatever they were saying about him would come to pass and he wouldn’t perform his best. There was no point in engaging in that kind of talk because it would never end. And also he couldn’t afford to because it was his very first year with the band.

Q. We got some great moments with his wife. What did she tell you about what she thought of Arnel’s success?

A. At the time that I was filming with them, she had no idea. When she saw Arnel in Manila, that was the very first time she saw Arnel perform live with Journey. So at the time, I think she lived like everyone else, like all his fans, she saw all his performances on YouTube. It never became real to her until Manila.

Q. We saw a bit of the fans in the US, Filipino-American fans, in the film. What is it like in Manila when the band went to play there?

Journey performing in Manila, in the film DON’T STOP BELIEVIN’: EVERYMAN’S JOURNEY, a Cinedigm/ Docurama Films release 2013. Photo courtesy of Ferdie Arquero and Nomota LLC

A. It was off the hook. It was crazy. Manila is exposed to some of the biggest acts, but this was special because of Arnel.

Q. Was that Journey’s first time in Manila?

A. Yes. At their height, they never really toured internationally. They were very much the American band and would tour in the US every summer. I think with Arnel now they’re travelling the world more. So Arnel in a way has opened up the world, the possibilities of other audiences besides the US.

Q. I read in other interviews the challenges you had with funding, travel and getting the music rights. Talk about those challenges.

A. Funding was always a challenge. When we finally went on the road with them, we had no money. Neither could we afford not to go because the story was happening.

With limited resources, it was always difficult keeping up with a major act like Journey. When they travel, they always travel first-class, so we had to travel like they did. Like in any given city, we needed to stay in the hotels they were staying at, so we were free to roam the hotel with a camera. If we weren’t guests of the hotel, we couldn’t just go in there and walk around with a camera. We would always get questioned.

Q. Now how do you feel about these struggles?

A. It’s like childbirth. You forget. This isn’t my first film. It’s my fourth film. Every film has its struggles. You always say, “Oh my goodness! I’m never going to do this again!” And then you forget.

Q. How did you get through all that footage having filmed for over two years?

A. The secret of getting through all the footage is I have a wonderful editor. I work with only one editor. Basically, I can’t watch everything. In this film, I watched everything in real time except for the performances, which we fast-forwarded.

I take notes in my production journal and take notes of what I think will be a golden moment. Like when Arnel was looking for a signal for his phone, doesn’t find it and he steps out on the street in Los Angeles and all the fans accost him and he’s so surprised. That’s a golden moment. I’ll always remember that.

Q. What were some of the biggest contrasts in doing films about two famous people, Arnel, and the former first lady of the Philippines, Imelda Marcos?

A. With Imelda it was towards the end of her notoriety. She was no longer first lady, so it was towards the ebbing of being known. She had been used to fame, she was comfortable with her position.

With Arnel it was the opposite. It was Arnel ascendent. He was just discovering what fame was about, being recognized. I caught them on two opposite ends of a continuum.

Q. What’s your next project?

A. I’m writing a screenplay, so I’m going to try my hand at narrative next. And I have also started shooting a documentary, it’s called The Bill and it’s about a reproductive health bill in the Philippines.

*This interview was edited and condensed.