Why ‘Kita Kita’ filmmaker prefers box-office success over awards

From left: Ryza Cenon, Sigrid Andrea Bernardo and JC Santos

Sigrid Andrea Bernardo, the brains behind the surprise blockbuster of 2017, “Kita Kita,” is at it again. She directed and wrote its screenplay. She works her magic anew in Viva Films’ charming pre-Valentine movie, “Mr. & Mrs. Cruz,” starring Ryza Cenon and JC Santos portraying lost souls who find each other.

Sigrid seems to be a master in love matters. She shows us that sometimes it’s not the “ever after” but the story that counts.

Here’s my chat with Sigrid:

Don’t you feel pressured that “Mr. & Mrs. Cruz” must outdo or at least equal the success of “Kita Kita”? I do feel the pressure. But I will always go back to why I do films. When I did “Kita Kita,” there were no expectations, but I hoped that my producers would at least recoup the film’s expenses. But it made a lot in the box office, which was a real surprise.

I try not to think about it too much. But what I feel now is the pressure to make a good or better film for the audience to enjoy. At the end of the day, what’s important is that you are happy and satisfied with your work.

If you could only pick one, which would you choose, box-office success or awards? Box-office success. I want more people to watch my films. I want to tell my stories to more people.

How would you compare directing Alessandra de Rossi and Empoy Marquez to Ryza and JC? It was a different process. With AlEmpoy, we didn’t have time to do workshops before the shoot. The lines were not too lengthy. Working with them was a breeze because Alessandra and Empoy became instant friends during the shoot.

With “Mr. & Mrs. Cruz,” the material was difficult because of the lengthy lines. The script was like a play. It was JC and Ryza’s first time to work together. We had to do workshops every day for more than a week, from morning till night, so that they can work on their chemistry and master their lines. So, during the shoot, it became more natural when they delivered their lines.

What was the hardest scene to direct in the film? The hardest parts were their banter scenes. We had to do them over and over until we got the rhythm right. Shooting in Palawan was similarly hard because we had to plan everything thoroughly.

What’s your fave line in it? My favorite line is the voice-over in the dance sequence, “Ang importante masaya ka.” It’s about how important personal happiness is.

What changes would you like to see on the local movie scene? I’d like the audience to experiment more in watching different kinds of movies. I’d like to bring back the Filipino culture of watching movies in the theater—and with that, I hope to fight piracy.

Why should we watch “Mr. & Mrs. Cruz”? I wrote “Mr. & Mrs. Cruz” even before “Kita Kita.” It’s about two broken people who find healing in each other. It doesn’t only talk about love, commitment and marriage; it’s also about finding oneself and learning to accept your pain by realizing you aren’t the only one hurting.