One for the bucket list. Sunshine Cruz and Enzo Pineda were clear that being in a Cinemalaya movie were their wish and part of their bucket list in their acting careers. Being in the most prestigious film festival in the Philippines is a dream come true and an opportunity that should not be missed. That’s why the two did not hesitate on being part of the romance drama movie ‘Malamaya.’
“Malamaya is a Tagalog term for the color of Ash or gray,” directors Danica Sta. Lucia and Leilani Chavez explain. Danica, a producer and video editor, and Leilani, a soap opera writer and journalist, are making their full-length directorial debut with his sexy romance about love and art produced by Spears Films, ALV Films and Cine Likha.
Present at the media conference of Malamaya are producers Albert Almendralejo and Arnold Vegafria, directos Leilani Chavez and Danica Sta. Lucia, and actors Raymond Bagatsing, Enzo Pineda and Ms. Sunshine Cruz.
The story takes the viewers on a sensual journey through the eyes of Nora, a 45-year old unmarried visual artist (played by Sunshine Cruz) who is in an undefined relationship with fellow artist named Jim (Raymond Bagatsing), a potter who is recovering from the death of his wife. Nora’s dull and uninspired life takes a colorful turn when she pays a visit to the university where her friend Alice (Bernadette Allyson) teaches. Here, Nora meets Migs (Enzo Pineda), a young and upcoming photographer. The attraction between the two is instant. Visual artist and photographer then embark on a passionate love affair that ignites their respective lives and artistic endeavors.
The film will literally change colors as per its lead female star shares. It’s one of the reasons why she and her co-actors are interested in making the film because it’s quite unique.
Sunshine shares that it’s a challenge playing the character Nora because of the differences she and her character has. “Mahirap kasi merong mga bagay na ginagawa si Nora na hindi ko ginagawa pero kailangan maging believable ako, like hindi ako marunong mag-draw, kahit ‘yung stick na tao nahihirapan ako. But si Nora is a visual artist, napaka-galing, very talented and I don’t smoke, Nora is a chainsmoker,” Sunshine says.
For Enzo, his character Migs will bare skin more than once in the film, so he made sure that he’s in the perfect shape to show his body because as he describes, “film is immoral.”
“Alam ko naman po ‘yung papasukan ko sa film na ‘to. And hinanda ko talaga ‘yung sarili ko to, like I said, bare myself. And to be honest, pinaghirapan ko po ‘yun. Nag-gym po ako, payat kasi legs ko. So, I made a point na mag-work out ako especially to work on my pwet kasi alam kong makikita sa movie,” Enzo shares to the media.
Clearly, the two made efforts for their first Cinemalaya movie.
Catch them on its Cinemalaya run on August 2 – 13 at CCP Theaters and select Ayala Malls Cinemas and Vista Cinemas and on its regular run starting August 14 in cinemas nationwide.