a movie about Filipinos not to be missed
Millennials and Generation Z please hold your breath and be prepared to see “I Propose We Never See Each Other Again After Tonight” on March 20 at the Northgate Plaza.
For the first time in the celluloid world, a film made in Manitoba with local actors, mostly Filipinos, will be shown with the promise of full entertainment, lots of fun and with the splash of sex and romance.
And, for more enticing movie jargons, there will be some spicy scenes, some emotionally intense stuffs, some fightings, and hold this: some sex scenes.
Promise! Guaranteed!
And with the official tagline: A romantic comedy about love, winter and banana sauce?
What? Winter and Banana sauce?
And as we go further to know more about this film, Filipino Journal was able to see eye-to-eye, Sean Garrity, the writer and producer and we shoot some questions about this film:
Filipino Journal: Why this movie?
Sean Garrity: I lived in Toronto for a few years, and when I moved home again, I wanted to make a really Winnipeg movie. The first thought that came to me was a Mennonite-Filipino romcom-that seemed like a story that would be very typical of this city,and feature two communities that really define Winnipeg. As we were developing the story, the Mennonite part kind of fell away, and we focused much more on the Filipina character, Iris de la Cruz, played by an extraordinary Winnipeg actress, and star in the waiting Hera Nalam who hailed from Cebu.
Filipino Journal: Where did you find your Filipino actors?
Sean Garrity: It was hard finding Filipino actors, at first, because most of the casting directors only knew of a few, and I needed, like 15 for this movie- so I had to start looking on the internet, going after theatre actors and finding singers who could also act. And when I finally started seeing numbers of people, I was delighted by all the talents in the Filipino community- I found amazing performers who were also really funny (which is key for a comedy) with the likes of Hera Nalam, Andrea Macasaet, Mithus Cabrera, Elmer Aquino, Bernie Pastorin- and the list goes on and on.
There has been a dearth of movies dealing with the Filipino themes, let alone the presence of talented Filipino actors who are hoping and praying that somewhere along the length of a hot summer sun or solitude of wonders of the winter wonderland, there would be a spark of opportunity to recognize their God-given talent.
Until Sean Garrity and Bedbugs Films started to tap the tremendous pool of talents in the Filipino community like Hera Nalam, a native of Cebu and immigrated to Canada when she was 16 and this is what Hera says about her role as Iris: “Iris was a character very closely similar to myself. She’s in her mid-early 20’s, loves music, she wants exciting changes in her life and she likes to please people especially her family.
I’d like to think, at least based on my personal experiences, that many people I know are like Iris – which makes her a super relatable character.
In terms of deciding who Iris was going to be as an individual, it was a collaborative effort, but I definitely drew a lot from myself to explore what Iris’s life was like and to experience how she was going to grow from someone who chose to always lay low to someone who finally took risks and at the end discovers self-empowerment.
Fortunately, being on set with Sean and the rest of the crew made it such a smooth process to capture Iris’s story from start to finish.
I was scared at first, because I have never been on a professional movie set before, and there were definitely long days on set. There were rough moments where I found myself challenged to sustain myself emotionally to act on camera for another take – but I had a wonderful team of talented and supportive human beings who believed in me, so the fear eventually just melted away.”
Other major roles are acted by Mithus Cabrera, Andrea Macasaet, Elmer Aquino and others.
At the premier showing of this film, the Filipino actors together with Sean Garrity will be present for a Q&A portion where the fans can fully engage to get more inside information about the film, and the possibility of producing more Filipino-themed movies. A reception will follow after the film showing.
See you there and let’s unmask ourselves as we fully engage our spirit, mind and body on the juicy parts of this film!
