Nadine Lustre
If you have the ability to “delete” a past life experience, what would it be?
This question was thrown at the cast of the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) entry “Deleter” at a recent press con.
“Probably my bad fashion moments … photos of me wearing stuff I don’t agree with,” Nadine Lustre said, laughing.
Her impulsive spending during her younger years is another. “Back then, I had this itch to spend money, may it be a table when you go out to party, or just something random—spur-of-the-moment stuff. Now, when I look back, I’m like, ‘Why did I waste money on that? Why did I buy that? Sayang,’” she related. “Now I’m careful about spending.”
Jeffrey Hidalgo
The plot
In the movie, the 29-year-old star plays an online content moderator who screens or deletes graphic content on social media.
For his part, Jeffrey Hidalgo wishes he didn’t party as much as he did during his 20s. “If I were to delete something in my life, it’s the partying. I think I wasted lots of time in my 20s that I now wish I could get back. I could have been where I am now five years earlier,” he said. “Looking back, those were fun times, but yes, I wish I made better use of my time.”
Louise delos Reyes and McCoy de Leon, meanwhile, would rather not delete anything, because their past bad experiences are now part of who they are as people.
“I won’t delete anything because there’s a reason these things happen. They’re the reason you became strong,” McCoy said.
Louise admitted that she had wasted a lot of time on the wrong people, may it be a lover or a friend. “It’s really hard to find true connections in show biz or wherever industry you’re in. So, I treasure my small circle, because I know I can run to them when the going gets tough … they will listen to me, from my shallowest rants to my deepest of problems,” she said.
“But at the same time, I don’t want to delete those people, because that also means undoing the learnings and the experiences,” she added.
Louise delos Reyes
Social media drawbacks
While they all agree that the internet has become an indispensable part of people’s daily lives, they pointed out that the instantaneous connectivity and access to information digital technology do come with some drawbacks—like disinformation and hate.
“Everything can be had at the click of a finger. Information is readily available. However, these things can be weaponized, because not everyone is discerning what they see online. Some people consume content and take them as truth,” Jeffrey said.
“There is a lot of fake stuff out there, which can be frustrating because people can be misled,” he added.
McCoy de Leon
McCoy is thankful for the internet because it allowed him to learn more about his interests, which may not necessarily be part of a regular school curriculum—say, photography. “I learned a lot about cameras online,” he said.
“But the internet can also be used for bad things, unfortunately,” McCoy said. “There’s fake news … People online can be really hurtful, too, because they get to say whatever they want without regard for others’ feelings. Some people cross the boundaries.”
For Louise, social media, ironically, can also cause disconnect. “You’re supposed to get in touch with people across the globe, but sometimes, social media disconnects you from the people right in front of you. Sometimes, when people are together, they get more preoccupied with what’s on their phones. You don’t get to really cherish your time with people,” she said.
Nadine, on the other hand, lamented the so-called “look at me” culture. “What I don’t like about the internet is that there’s a lot of disinformation and hateful people,” she said. “And there’s this ‘look at me’ culture, which has people presenting an online personality that’s so different from what they are in real life.”