Actress Mercedes Cabral is winning the hearts of Middle East TV audiences with her remarkable performance on “Saq Al Bamboo (The Bamboo Stalk),” a Kuwaiti soap opera based on the novel by journalist Saud Alsanousi.
Kuwaiti audiences swamped social media with admirations for Cabral’s performance as Josephine, a woman who left her poor family in the Philippines to work as a maid in Kuwait. It was Filipino producer Sarah Pagcaliwagan-Brakensiek who introduced Mercedes to the producers. The show is produced by Sabbah Pictures and airs on Al-Rai TV and MBC Drama in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Dubai in United Arab Emirates, and other parts of the Middle East. Prior to “Saq Al Bamboo,” the 29-year-old actress also starred in various overseas projects including the Danish film “Rosita,” Park Chan-wook’s thriller “Thirst,” and in Isaac Julien’s film “Playtime” alongside American actor James Franco.
