Zig Dulay & Alessandra de Rossi | The Source
A child's journey to find a magical island wins this year's Best Picture at the 49th Metro Manila Film Festival. "Firefly," a story about courage and a mother's love.
Ria Tanjuatco-Trillo speaks with film director Zig Dulay and lead actress Alessandra de Rossi.
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Ria Tanjuatco-Trillo speaks with film director Zig Dulay and lead actress Alessandra de Rossi.
Visit our website for more #NewsYouCanTrust: https://www.cnnphilippines.com/
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NewsTranscript
00:00 Welcome to The Source, where we combine the headlines with in-depth conversations with
00:07 the newsmakers themselves.
00:09 Sitting in for Pinky Webb, I'm Ria Tanuat Cotrillo.
00:12 Today, on the program.
00:14 A child's journey to find a magical island wins this year's Best Picture at the 49th
00:22 Metro Manila Film Festival.
00:27 Firefly, a story about courage and a mother's love.
00:31 Film director Zig Dulay and lead actress Alessandra De Rossi join us in the program.
00:36 A film about the Philippines' first ever documented serial killer seeks to elevate
00:45 the Pinoy horror standard.
00:50 Bagging four awards at the recently held MMFF Gabi ng Parangal, this year's MMFF Best Supporting
00:56 Actor JC Santos and Mentor Productions President John Brian Diamante tell us more later on
01:02 in the show.
01:14 Fantasy film Firefly bagged the top accolade at the MMFF Awards night for highlighting
01:19 the heartwarming magic of stories.
01:21 The coming of age road trip drama is seen through the eyes of Tonton, played by Ewen
01:26 Micael, who was hailed as MMFF Best Child Performer.
01:30 When tragedy strikes, Tonton goes on an adventure to reach the mystical island of Fireflies
01:35 featured in his mother's tale.
01:37 But during his idyllic quest to make an important wish, he meets an unlikely group of strangers.
01:43 Together, they bring to light the importance of family and a parent's sacrifices for their
01:48 child.
01:49 Let's go to the source of the story, Firefly lead actress Alessandra De Rossi.
01:53 Alessandra, good morning.
01:54 Thank you so much for being here.
01:56 Good morning, Chia.
01:58 Yes.
01:59 Thank you all for having me.
02:02 We have so much to talk about.
02:03 First of all, congratulations to the entire Firefly team and cast for winning this year's
02:08 MMFF Best Picture.
02:10 Maybe we can start with how you felt when the film was actually called for the top prize.
02:19 I was expecting that.
02:20 No, because we have four Best Picture awards and there are like ten films.
02:26 So it's like half of what we were called for.
02:29 So there are three now.
02:31 I feel like we're the remaining ones.
02:34 Amazing.
02:35 Now, of all the films and active projects that you've done, and you've done so, so
02:41 many, I know you like to keep yourself busy.
02:44 What has made Firefly special for you, aside from the fact that it won Best Picture at
02:49 MMFF?
02:50 The story is about a child's POV.
02:51 So the innocence of the story itself, I haven't done that for a long time because I've been
02:56 doing rom-com and stuff like that lately.
02:57 So I need to be wholesome, without love angles, without anything that's just about me.
02:58 So I need to be open, and I need to be open to the world.
02:59 So I think that's what I've been doing.
03:00 I've been doing a lot of things.
03:01 I've been doing a lot of things.
03:02 I've been doing a lot of things.
03:03 I've been doing a lot of things.
03:04 I've been doing a lot of things.
03:05 I've been doing a lot of things.
03:06 I've been doing a lot of things.
03:07 I've been doing a lot of things.
03:08 I've been doing a lot of things.
03:14 I've been doing a lot of things.
03:15 I've been doing a lot of things.
03:16 I've been doing a lot of things.
03:17 I've been doing a lot of things.
03:18 I've been doing a lot of things.
03:19 I've been doing a lot of things.
03:20 I've been doing a lot of things.
03:21 I've been doing a lot of things.
03:22 I've been doing a lot of things.
03:23 I've been doing a lot of things.
03:24 I've been doing a lot of things.
03:25 I've been doing a lot of things.
03:26 I've been doing a lot of things.
03:27 I've been doing a lot of things.
03:28 I've been doing a lot of things.
03:29 I've been doing a lot of things.
03:30 I've been doing a lot of things.
03:31 I've been doing a lot of things.
03:32 I've been doing a lot of things.
03:34 I don't have any more.
03:37 Beautiful Screenplay directed by Zeke Rulay.
03:41 I know that automatically it's a yes for me.
03:45 I'm glad, super glad that I did it.
03:49 Because it's a break from all the roles I've been doing for the past 5 years.
03:57 That being the case, how did you prep for this role as a single mom?
04:02 I don't have any more.
04:05 As much as I want to.
04:08 When I prepare, it's not like that.
04:13 I'm used to Zeke Rulay.
04:15 We're really good friends.
04:17 Somehow, I know what he wants.
04:20 I hope I did it.
04:23 At least, according to his vision.
04:25 I don't know if I did that.
04:27 But the film was okay.
04:28 I think the film was more than okay.
04:30 Because it was the best picture.
04:32 I'm not prepared.
04:35 You've talked about in previous interviews,
04:39 about what it was like to shoot.
04:41 You said that the scene was heavy on the first day.
04:45 Can you tell us more behind the scenes stories of filming Firefly?
04:50 Because this was done in Manila and Bicol as well.
04:54 Yes.
04:55 Normally, when you're an actor,
04:58 on the first day, the scene is the lightest.
05:01 So that you get used to your co-actors,
05:03 to the people on the set.
05:05 Then you process the role as the shooting goes along.
05:09 But for me,
05:10 on the first day, the heaviest sequence,
05:13 I didn't process it.
05:16 It was okay.
05:17 The next shooting days were light.
05:20 And this was shot in Baseco.
05:22 It was a beautiful sunset.
05:25 It was a moonrise.
05:27 You wouldn't expect that there's such a beautiful view in Manila.
05:32 We were all happy.
05:34 When it came to Bicol, I wasn't there.
05:37 So, it was a shame.
05:39 Right. There really are some really beautiful shots there.
05:44 How did it feel to lead a film and work with a child actor,
05:49 Ewen Micael, who plays Ton-Ton.
05:51 Of course, he won Best Child Actor in the Film Festival.
05:55 How did you create that mother-son chemistry with him?
05:59 It was easy because his mother is super cool.
06:04 She's younger than me.
06:05 Wow.
06:07 I call her "mommy".
06:09 But I also look at her.
06:11 She's very young.
06:12 She's a strong woman.
06:13 She's like me.
06:15 She's not a girl.
06:17 She's a lover.
06:18 And then, when we're together in the tent,
06:21 I look at her favorite food.
06:23 I look at what she wants to talk about.
06:26 Just to have that bond.
06:29 Sometimes, I steal her bed.
06:31 I say, "I'll sleep here first. What a bully."
06:33 But just to see if she'll allow it.
06:37 If she'll be by your side.
06:39 And thankfully, it was so easy for us.
06:44 We were together in the tent.
06:46 Plus, Ewen is used to acting.
06:49 So, there was no problem.
06:51 Great performances all around from him.
06:54 And of course, from you.
06:55 Alex, we need to be taking a short break.
06:58 But Firefly director, Zig Dulai, will join Alessandra when we return.
07:02 This is The Source on CNN Philippines.
07:04 Please stay tuned.
07:12 I felt when I was a kid,
07:15 life.
07:17 The stories of my mother.
07:19 Remember this.
07:27 When you reach the island of the stars,
07:30 your wish will come true.
07:33 [The Source]
07:35 You're watching The Source on CNN Philippines.
07:40 I'm Rhea Tanwat Cotrillo.
07:41 Our source today, actress Alessandra De Rossi and Firefly director, Zig Dulai.
07:46 Alex, welcome back.
07:48 And Direk, good to have you on.
07:50 Let's get right to it.
07:51 Direk Zig, what were your thoughts on the Best Picture Award?
07:55 And what was going through your mind as it was called for that honor?
08:01 It was so overwhelming.
08:03 Literally,
08:05 you saw us go up on stage,
08:08 and when I was speaking,
08:11 I didn't know if what I said made sense.
08:15 Because I felt like I was on a ship,
08:20 like Ton-Ton.
08:22 You feel like you've reached the island of the stars,
08:29 and you've found the stars,
08:31 and you've shown them all.
08:33 That's how I felt.
08:35 Amazing.
08:36 Now, you have said that you dedicated this film to your mother.
08:42 And you came out with a post on your own social media
08:45 detailing how much she sacrificed for you.
08:50 How big of an influence was she when you were creating this movie?
08:58 Miss Rina, I do everything I can.
09:01 Since my mother passed away,
09:04 or even before she was alive,
09:09 I'm a mother.
09:11 So, I always think about everything I do.
09:17 I think about whether my mother would be proud of me.
09:21 If this is something that she would say,
09:26 "My daughter did this."
09:28 "She's my daughter."
09:30 So, from then, especially when she passed away,
09:35 I promised myself that whatever creation I do,
09:42 or whatever movie, specifically,
09:45 I always strive to make it something that she can say,
09:50 or that she can say in our barangay,
09:53 or in the whole Philippines, or the whole world,
09:56 that my daughter did this.
09:58 So, that serves as motivation and inspiration somehow
10:03 that I need to improve the way I make movies.
10:07 And with that, I think, the heart of the movie comes out.
10:11 Especially, Firefly is very special
10:16 because it's really about a mother and her child,
10:19 and the relationship between the mother and her child.
10:22 And how the mother protects and pushes her child's dreams.
10:29 So, it's very close.
10:31 So, I made this mainly so that she can raise me wherever she is.
10:38 That's beautiful.
10:39 And that's what everybody says about the film,
10:41 that it has so much heart and so much soul.
10:44 It's a great movie, especially for the holiday season.
10:48 And for Alex Direk Zig, you guys won not just Best Picture,
10:52 but Best Screenplay and Best Child Performer.
10:55 How big of a boost are these awards for the film
10:59 so that more people will go to watch?
11:02 Because there's a clamor that there will be more cinemas
11:04 because on social media, people are saying
11:06 they want to have more access to be able to watch Firefly.
11:15 Sorry, I'm not sure if you can hear me, Direk.
11:18 Alex, how big of a boost are these awards for the film?
11:22 Alex, I think you're on mute.
11:28 I think we started 32 cinemas, if I'm not mistaken.
11:36 And just now, I heard that there are 100 or something.
11:41 So, I think the clamor for winning Best Picture
11:45 and at the same time, for the word of mouth
11:48 increased because amazingly, on social media,
11:52 there are so many reviews.
11:54 We didn't ask for the reviews,
11:56 but they willingly gave us all their heart.
12:00 So, of course, people are curious about why that happened.
12:05 There, we have a lot of cinemas now.
12:07 Right, I'm sure so many people want to watch it now
12:11 or even re-watch it because it's so beautiful.
12:14 So, please, we only have a bit of time left.
12:18 I can ask both of you to, or maybe Direk,
12:20 please continue to invite moviegoers to support the film.
12:24 We thank all the people who supported
12:31 and accompanied us from the movie theater
12:36 from the beginning, from the very beginning of Firefly
12:40 until now, there are so many.
12:42 Thank you so much.
12:43 Thank you to all the people who posted,
12:47 who said their reactions
12:50 to their liking to the film.
12:52 It was a huge help.
12:55 And I hope they continue to support
12:59 and I hope more people will watch Firefly
13:06 because we really made Firefly
13:09 not just for ourselves,
13:11 but for you, so you can watch it,
13:15 so you can feel somehow that,
13:20 you know, this is a story of a dream, Miss Rhea,
13:23 this is a story of a dream that we know is hard to reach,
13:26 but there is a story that reminds us
13:29 that no matter how hard it is to reach your dream,
13:33 there is the power of a dream,
13:35 the power of love, the love of parents,
13:38 the love of our mother,
13:40 that we carry with us to reach our dream
13:43 and the power of the movie, the power of our story,
13:47 that is what we will learn from the story.
13:50 We are excited that hopefully,
13:52 everyone will feel and have a heart when they watch Firefly.
13:57 I'm sure that will be the case.
13:59 That's very inspiring.
14:00 Thank you both so much for your time,
14:02 Alessandra De Rossi and Firefly director Zig Dulay.
14:05 And once again, congratulations.
14:07 Thank you.
14:09 And up ahead, a film about the country's first documented serial killer
14:14 bags four awards at this year's MMFF.
14:17 We speak to Mentor Productions President,
14:19 John Brian "Jamente" Jamante and MMFF Best Supporting Actor,
14:23 JC Santos about the movie when we return.
14:26 This is The Source on CNN Philippines.
14:27 Please stay tuned.
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