[Only IN Hollywood] Kathyrn Bernardo, Alden Richards on second chances, OFW sacrifices

LOS ANGELES – “We’re very honored to have this film be shown globally and to be one of the widest distributed globally for a Filipino-made film,” said Alden Richards about Hello, Love, Again, his new film with Kathryn Bernardo, having the widest release in North America for a Filipino movie.

In a video interview, the two popular stars talked to me about their sequel to the blockbuster, Hello, Love, Goodbye which will also be released in other international territories, from Australia to Saudi Arabia.

The film, which will close the 10^th Asian World Film Festival in Los Angeles, also marks the first film collaboration of long-time rivals through their production outfits, ABS-CBN (Star Cinema) and GMA Network (GMA Pictures).

Directed again by Cathy Garcia-Sampana, the rom-com tracks Kathryn’s Joy and Alden’s Ethan 10 years from the original story, as the lovers meet again in Canada but circumstances pose barriers and challenges.

Shot in Hong Kong and Canada, Hello, Love, Again, continues to reflect the plight of OFWs (Overseas Filipino workers) and the Filipino diaspora.

The cast includes Ruby Rodriguez, Mark Labella, Marvin Aritrangco, Joross Gamboa, Valerie Concepcion, Jennica Garcia, Jobert Austria, Lovely Abella and Kakai Bautista.

As the closing film of the Asian World Film Festival, Hello, Love, Again will be shown on November 20, 7:30 pm at The Culver Theater in Culver City, California. The screening will be followed by a Q and A with the cast, led by Kathryn, Alden, and Cathy. Details are available at here.

The following are excerpts from our Zoom conversation:

Hello, Love, Again marks the widest North American release for a Filipino film. Can you comment on that as a Filipino actor and as a member of the Philippine movie industry that’s struggling but is still very much around like many industries in the world?

Alden: We’re very honored to have this film be shown globally and to be one of the widest distributed globally for a Filipino-made film. We all know that the cinema industry is struggling quite a bit after the pandemic. But, as filmmakers, we’re very much into giving beautiful content for the people to appreciate.

This opportunity given to us for the film Hello, Love, Again is a great honor. I hope that this won’t be the last film to have this kind of opportunity to inspire a lot of filmmakers so they can make films that can be recognized globally.

Kathryn: We’re very hopeful because we know how hard it is to produce and sell a movie. And now that slowly, people are going back to the cinemas, we’re trying it out, globally, not just here in the Philippines. I think it’s worth a try.

We’re very hopeful that people will accept it. I don’t want to pressure myself too much when it comes to this but we believe in the project so it’s up to the people to accept it. Hopefully, this will open doors, not just for us.

We started it with A Very Good Girl. Then the MMFF happened and all the Star Cinema films and now we have this. I feel that we Filipinos can continue. There are many talented producers and creators and here we can showcase that all over the world. So, let’s just see.

This movie is about second chances. So, let’s add a twist by asking you this question. Do you believe in giving third, fourth, and fifth chances when it comes to matters of the heart, or a second chance is your limit, and that’s it?

Alden: I think giving second chances depends upon the person. Sometimes it depends because giving a second and a third chance means that there was a mistake committed in the situation. I think second chances could be given to people who have committed a mistake.

But if it’s gonna be happening over and over again, committing the same mistake, that’s already a choice. That person chooses to commit that mistake over and over again. I think it’s not worth any chances anymore.

But I think on second chances, it depends. It’s not a commitment. It’s not a thing that you always have to give. It’s a choice.

Kathryn: It depends on the person. Because it’s a risk. If you give a person a chance, either he or she will correct the mistake or you’re allowing that person to hurt you again or to do this again.

So, if you think it’s worth the risk, if you think this person has changed, it’s your choice. But if it’s you not giving that person a chance because it’s your way of protecting yourself and your sanity, if you don’t want to experience or go through this again, that’s okay, too.

So, it depends on the situation. You can forgive but that doesn’t mean that you have to give a second chance. You can forgive for your peace of mind and your call if you want a second chance. So, it depends on the person.

Alden (to Kathryn): You also said something nice earlier. You said, “A second chance is a gift.”

Kathryn: Yeah, it’s a gift. It’s not an obligation.

What did you learn about OFWs from this story? About the heroic efforts of our OFWs?

Alden: That their lives are different in every country. They have different stories to tell, different challenges, different sacrifices.

But at the end of the day, it’s the love that they have for their loved ones. And the love that they have for giving them a better life is what really matters to them.

It’s an eye-opener for both of us, given the opportunity to portray roles such as an OFW or an international worker because we have learned so much from them.

When we were able to talk to them during our filming in Hong Kong and Calgary, we learned so much about their stories and it’s not easy. Our hearts go to them and we have the utmost respect for them, for the things that they do in life and also for their families.

Darren Criss

Emmy and Golden Globe-winning Filipino American Darren Criss and Helen J Shen shone in the preview performance of Maybe Happy Ending which I recently watched on Broadway.

In Will Aronson and Hue Park’s love story musical set in Seoul in the near future, Oliver (Darren) and Claire (Helen) play helper robots who are considered obsolete and retired by their human masters. When the two apartment neighbors meet, the tantalizing question arises — can “helperbots” have the capacity to fall in love?

First staged in Seoul in Korean in 2016, Maybe Happy Ending has become a hit in that Asian region. The English version, which won the Richard Rodgers Production Award in 2017, was staged in 2020 at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta. Now, the musical directed by Michael Arden is set to debut on Broadway on November 12 at the Belasco Theatre.

Sporting lacquered dark hair, Darren convincingly looks the part of an AI bot whose quiet routine life involves listening to jazz records and caring for his favorite plant in his one-room apartment. That all changes when neighbor Claire knocks on his door and asks to borrow his bot charger.

As the two androids spend more time together, Darren’s usually unflappable humanoid starts demonstrating befuddlement and…emotions? In his fourth Broadway performance since American Buffalo, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Darren is absolutely winning as a helperbot who is usually mechanical and precise but is thrown off by new sensations.

Darren and Helen’s vocal chops are top-rate. The cast includes Dez Duron, who also delivers cool crooner vocals as Gil Brentley, and Marcus Choi.

The other star of the show is Dane Laffrey’s stunning scenic and video design. It is a technical marvel and a visual feat — a complement to the musical’s futuristic setting.

Another Filipino American talent in the show is costume designer Clint Ramos, the first Pinoy and person of color to win the Tony Award for best costume design of a play for Eclipsed.

Clint, who was recently the producer, costume and production designer of Lea Salonga and Dolly de Leon’s acclaimed Request sa Radyo, designed simple, streamlined costumes for the cast in keeping with the story’s near-future aesthetics.

May the show definitely have a happy ending at Broadway’s box office! – Rappler.com