With the phenomenal success of “Kita Kita”, one of its producers, Piolo Pascual, may have gotten his wish.
In a recent interview with InterAksyon, Piolo shared his views on what makes “Kita Kita” an outstanding film, and why moviegoers should see it.
“It’s cliché to say that this film is different from all the films that we’ve done before, but it’s for the people to know that’s it’s really different. It’s a different kind of love story. But they have to see it for themselves to realize that it’s one great story that needed to be told,” he said.
The film tells the story of Lea and Tonyo, two OFWs in Japan who fall into an unlikely romance. The catch is that Lea lost her vision after a failed engagement with her Japanese boyfriend, and falls in love with Tonyo in her blind state, bringing literal context to the saying “Love is blind.”
Directed by Sigrid Andrea Bernardo, the film was produced by Spring Films, a production company Piolo co-owns with director Joyce Bernal and producers Erickson Raymundo and Suzanne Shayne Sarte.
As someone who’s been in the industry for a long time and who now produces films, Piolo also commented on recent controversies involving the Metro Manila Film Festival and, in the same vein, imparted his high hopes for the local film industry.
“I guess the bottom line is we just want a better playing field for everyone. But at the end of the day, it’s still your audience who will choose if they want to watch your film.
“But for me I just feel, I hope we are more empowered and that we have more support from our audience and different agencies of the government, so that we have better support from the people not just during festivals. I hope also that people will learn to love our own, learn to patronize local films that way, everybody happy.”
If the P90 million “Kita Kita” earned on its first week were any indication, local moviegoers are learning to patronize Filipino films, even in the absence of big-name stars.
“Kita
“Kita Kita” adds another line to Piolo’s long roster of accomplishments and yet, the actor, singer and film producer still hasn’t satiated his thirst for reinvention.
He shares, “I have so many dreams, I’ve so many plans and goals and I won’t stop at nothing, I guess. What’s important is that you always excite yourself and your viewers with something you haven’t done before. So there’s a conscious effort to always challenge yourself to do things that you haven’t done before.”
Piolo remains grateful for the opportunities that come his way, but also understands that blessings shouldn’t flow one way.
As an Essilor brand ambassador, Piolo recently kicked off Essilor Vision Foundation’s Eye Can Succeed campaign. The said campaign involves discussing the importance of health vision to high school students and distributing prescription glasses to selected recipients. Coincidentally, it ties in with one of the elements of “Kita Kita” — poor eyesight.
“With Essilor I’ve been an ambassador for about a couple of years and just like our battlecry for this program, ‘Eye Can Succeed,’ I believe that these kids can have a better future by having better eyesight.”
“It’s important to pay it forward. Do causes like this, have an advocacy, and most of all, just keep it professional whenever you act, whenever you perform, because it’s all part of the package. You’re given so much, you’re blessed with so much. So just present yourself in the best way possible and be able to inspire and put a smile on other people’s faces also,” said Piolo.