BY ANNALYN S. JUSAY
AT A GLANCE
Located about three hours from Manila, Pakil is known for its patroness, the Our Lady of Sorrows of Turumba, believed to have miraculous powers.
Showing on Feb. 12, the movie "Paquil" sets its sights on an old town in Laguna characterized by its strong religious spirit. Located about three hours from Manila, Pakil is known for its patroness, the Our Lady of Sorrows of Turumba, believed to have miraculous powers.
The themes of hope and healing intersect in this film directed by Lemuel Lorca (Ned's Project, Broken Hearts Trip). The story revolves around the characters Paolo ( played by JM De Guzman) and Cristina (Beauty Gonzalez), who meet in Pakil to connect and find their roots.
The narrative mainly centers on Christina, a former actress who returns to her beloved hometown after a series of career setbacks and a terminal illness diagnosis. Here, she finds meaning in reviving the local theatrical art form dubbed "komedya" which leads her on a journey of self-discovery and reconnection with her faith.
For Beauty, "Paquil" is also significant because it is the first time her nine-year old daughter, Olivia Crisologo, can be seen acting in a movie.
Viewers who watched "Paquil" during its premiere night agree that Olivia doesn't only take after her mother's good looks but also her talent in acting. Olivia plays the young Cristina in the film and has a few crying scenes.
Beauty recalled how Olivia landed her first acting project. "Tinanong ako one day ng director namin kung pwede ba siyang gumanap na young me. Sabi ko, basta walang linya kasi hindi siya masyadong fluent sa Tagalog eh. Siyempre sa bahay English, Bisaya, Tagalog. Halo-halo yung mga lingwahe niya. But she's more of English. Sabi ng director wala naman daw linya. Then I told her about it. She said yes."
(The director asked if I would have Olivia play the young me. I told him as long as there are no lines because she's not so fluent in Tagalog. Our household has a mix of languages like English, Bisaya, Tagalog. The director said no lines will be spoken, so I asked Olivia and she said yes.)
"Pagdating namin sa set, biglang nagkaroon ng linya. Then biglang iiyak. Siyempre ako yung mas kinakabahan sa kanya but thankfully, we were all there to support her. Nairaos naman namin and she did one take lang," Beauty added.
(When we reached the set, we were surprised to learn that Olivia had to deliver some lines and a crying scene. I was more nervous than my daughter but we were all there to support her. We survived it, and she only took one take.)
Beauty admitted that she and her husband Norman Crisologo, along with their nannies, are proud of what Olivia has done. "She (Olivia) did very well and I didn't expect na makuha niya agad. So parang na-realize ko na since sinasama ko siya sa set since baby pa, parang na-observe niya na rin yung ginagawa ko," the proud mom stated.
"I'm just so happy that Olivia got to experience it all. She gets to think about what she wants to do later in life. Now she realized na mas gusto muna niya mag-school. After that, maybe pag malaki na siya, she can get into it (acting)," Beauty added.
Produced by Resiko Entertainment Production, "Paquil" will be shown in 100 cinemas nationwide on Feb. 12. Before its local release, it had already garnered international recognition at the Five Continents International Film Festival in Venezuela.
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