Yoo Min-gon (top) and Bela Padilla in “’Yung Libro sa Napanood Ko”
(We are running this guide to help you plan your summer moviegoing activity. The 1st Summer Metro Manila Film Festival or MMFF runs from April 8 to April 18)
Written and directed by Bela Padilla; stars Bela Padilla, Yoo Min-gon, Lorna Tolentino, Boboy Garrovillo; produced by Viva Films and Risky Marmalade
Upon learning about a book, titled “To Room 19,” from a Korean drama series she watched, Lisa (Padilla) gets inspired to dabble in writing. Fortunately, with hard work, she manages to fulfill her dream later in life.
In a book-signing event, she is approached by a Korean man named Kim Gun-hoo (Yoo), who asks her for an autograph and tells her that he’s a huge fan.
Life-altering secret
Gun-hoo invites Lisa to go with him to Korea, where he promises to take her to iconic film locations of her favorite series. Lisa catches a fever because of drastic changes in the weather. While recovering, Lisa discovers a life-altering secret from her past that threatens to thwart her blossoming relationship with Gun-hoo.
While the film features Korean elements, K-dramas or films aren’t necessarily the inspiration. “We didn’t have pegs for the movie. Let’s make it our own. One thing that works for Filipinos and the reason K-dramas appeal to us is that their culture is similar to ours—we’re very family-oriented, hardworking and we love good love stories,” Padilla said.