Vilma Santos —”WHEN I MET YOU IN TOKYO”/ FACEBOOK
After a busy and “physically draining” promo campaign for her Metro Manila Film Festival entry, “When I Met You in Tokyo,” Vilma Santos is now enjoying some much-needed downtime with her family.
“I was dead tired because I did one event after another leading to the MMFF awards night. I lost my voice. My grandchild, Peanut, celebrated her first birthday last Dec. 28, but we had to hold it off and celebrate it another day. So now, I just want to enjoy and spend some time with my family, my inspiration,” she told the Inquirer in a phone interview.
Thankfully, Vilma’s relatives from the United States flew in to celebrate the New Year. “We had a complete family bonding. I’m really happy that I was able to make it up to them this time,” said the veteran star, who added yet another trophy to her already extensive collection, after winning her fifth MMFF best actress award.
Inspired by the fans’ warm reception to her and perennial screen partner Christopher de Leon’s reunion film, Vilma looks forward to doing another film this year. In fact, there are a number of offers she needs to look into.
Next film
“Modesty aside, there are a lot of scripts here at home. I will just have to choose. But I’m excited to do a movie in 2024. But I just don’t know when. If I see a story I like and am happy with, then I will try to go for it,” she said. At 70, Vilma is wary of doing multiple projects in a year. So, if she were, indeed, to do one, it has to be of similar caliber as some of her most iconic films. “I want to create one memorable movie, something like ‘Sister Stella L,’ ‘Dekada ‘70,’ ‘Bata, Bata… Paano Ka Ginawa?’ and ‘Anak.’ I want it to be of that quality,” she said.
Momentum
This year, Vilma’s wish for the entertainment industry is for it to sustain the momentum it has built with this year’s MMFF. “I’m happy to see the excitement back. This was my goal in joining the festival, so the mere sight of people lining up in cinemas is a win for me already, she said. “I hope this inspires producers to put out more blockbuster films and films that can compete abroad.”
Vilma’s hopes for 2024 go beyond the entertainment industry. As a former politician who served for 24 years, she couldn’t help but express concern about her fellow Filipinos’ quality of life.
“Some people might say, ‘Ang arte naman nito. Ang fake.’ But I was a public servant and I’m still concerned about the things that are happening in our country, like the rising prices of commodities. I hope we can continue to recover,” she said.
“I’m hoping for our economy’s improvement, so we can recover after a tough year. There have also been wars, conflicts around the world. I’m also praying for that [to end],” she said.