G Töngi gets to pitch a pet advocacy, the RH bill, in new indie film, and realizes cinema’s potential as an agent for social change

G TÖNGI describes her 12-year US stay as “the best time of my life… spent around artists, musicians, dreamers.”

Yes, G Töngi will keep the blonde hair—for now.

Her new hairdo is just perfect for the ETC show, “Mega Young Designers All Stars,” that she’s currently hosting.  “However, when my next role comes along, I may once again change my look.”

She dyed the long locks platinum for the play “Piaf,” in which she played Hollywood icon Marlene Dietrich.

“I could have worn a wig, but, as an artist, I believe in transforming myself for a role. I am not playing G; I am playing a character.”

She described Marlene as a “hoot” to play. “She was a revolutionary. She was openly bisexual, which was quite scandalous back then, but she remained true to herself. She’s my idol.”

Seems she’s drawn to portraying strong, savvy women.

For her “first” indie film, Gil M. Portes’ “Bayang Magiliw,” G, wearing her original brunette roots, was cast as a lawyer, whom she described as “no-nonsense, tough and empowered.”

“I wanted to play Catherine because she’s not a stereotypical Filipina,” she added.

Even better, “Bayang Magiliw” tackles a cause that’s particularly dear to her heart—reproductive health (RH). “It’s a film that uses entertainment to educate. It’s a film that bats for social change.”

(“Bayang Magiliw” opens in SM Cinemas on Wednesday.)

She feels strongly about participating in the raging RH debate. “Not granting women access to reproductive-health services is a form of modern-day oppression. People who are living in poverty need to be educated about reproductive health and contraception.”

She values cinema’s potential to make significant contributions to our country. “Film is such a powerful medium,” she stressed.

G, who was based in the United States for 12 years, confessed, “Leaving the Philippines, being away from the limelight, helped me grow as a human being.”

G (LEFT) in a scene from her first indie film “Bayang Magiliw,” a movie that, she points out, “uses entertainment to educate”

She married Tim Walters and had two children—Sakura, 7, and Kenobi, 5. She earned a degree in Communications from the University of California in Los Angeles.

“Those were the best years of my life,” she said of her US stay, “spent around artists, musicians—regular people striving to realize their dreams on a daily basis.”

Supporting artists

She avidly pursued acting. One of the projects she was involved in,  Christina Rubenstein’s “Unrest,” won best short film (jury award) at the 15th Stony Brook Film Festival in New York and was declared best student film at the American Film Institute (AFI) by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in Los Angeles in 2010.

In “Unrest,” produced by Manila-born Marie Pineda, G portrayed a typical Marcos crony’s wife who flees the country on the eve of the Edsa revolution. She recalled, “The shoot was very organized. AFI projects are comparable to mainstream Hollywood productions in terms of everyone’s professionalism, from wardrobe to craft service.”

She felt it was vital to support young filmmakers and producers. “The likes of Marie Pineda will be making a name someday soon,  not only for herself but for the country in the world of filmmaking,” she said. “Everyone starts somewhere. As an artist myself, I feel the best way to support emerging filmmakers is to take part in their first projects—

no matter how modest the budget.”

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