Zsa Zsa Padilla Shoo In As Metro FilmFest New Wave Best Actress For Zig Dulay's Entry, 'M, My Mother's Maiden Name'

IF ALLEN DIZON is a shoo in for the best actor award in the coming Metro Manila Filmfest New Wave category for his internationally acclaimed portrayal of the title role in “Ang Magkakabaung”, Zsa Zsa Padilla is touted to be the one to beat as best actress for her role as a dying cancer patient in “M, My Mother’s Maiden Name”, which already won acclaim at the Bogota and Hawaii International Filmfests. This is written and directed by young filmmaker Zig Dulay, who wrote last year’s “Ekstra” that gave many best actress plums to Gov. Vilma Santos. In 2012, he also wrote “Posas” that won best picture in the Hanoi International Filmfest.

Zig is now with GMA-7, where he started as a writer-assistant director for the romantic anthology, “Wagas” on GNTV. He also wrote the award-winning Dennis Trillo series, “Sa Puso ni Doc”, and co-directed it with Adolf Alix. Now, he’s given the chance to direct and write GMA’s special Christmas musical drama, “Himig ng Pasko”, starring Regine Velasquez.

So how did he conceive of “M, My Mother’s Maiden Name”? “It’s ‘Ekstra’ producer Atty. Joji Alonso who asked me to do a story on cancer patients. I interviewed a lot of them and wrote the script. We entered it sa Cinemalaya but it was not chosen. Atty. Joji told me ituloy namin for her Eight Films. We started shooting it last January. It so happened, my mom died from chronic kidney disease and my experiences there were incorporated into the script. Zsa Zsa Padilla plays a lawyer who gets pancreatic cancer. I didn’t know ganun din pala ang experience ni Atty. Joji in real life. Zsa Zsa’s yaya is played by Gloria Sevilla. Gloria has her own daughter, Sue Prado, who’s sick with chronic kidney disease. We tried to show the disparity of health care in our country. Zsa Zsa can go to expensive hospitals and consult the best oncologists. She even goes to Singapore to seek treatment there, kaya may scenes kami shot on location in Singapore. In contrast, si Sue Prado goes to government hospitals na kulang sa gamot at gamit, so she results to alternative healing like an albularyo.”

Our heart went to Zig at the MMFF presentation of entries. All the other film directors have cast members with them, but he’s all alone and not even one actor was with him