Bibeth Orteza Gets To Relate With Her Role As Sid Lucero's Bald, Cancer Stricken Mom In 'Toto'

BIBETH ORTEZA gets to relate meaningfully to her role as Sid Lucero’s sick mom in “Toto”, an entry in the coming Metro Manila Filmfest New Wave category. “May cancer kasi yung character ko rito at nakalbo na, something that really happened to me when I also had breast cancer some years ago,” she says. “I care for this project kasi the writer-director, John Paul Su, was a former film student of my husband (Carlitos Siguion Reyna) in New York University and when he did a short film, ‘Pagpag’, akong kinuha niyang lead as a 72-year old garbage scavenger and I won best actress sa NYU. ‘Toto’ is his first full length film and we’re happy na nakapasok ito sa MMFF New Wave.”

Sid Lucero plays the title role of Toto, a room service attendant working in a hotel in Manila. He’s from Yolanda-ravaged Tacloban and his biggest dream is to get a U.S. visa so he can work in Las Vegas where his late dad, Bembol Roco, used to be a magician. In his desire to get to the U.S., he meets various people who tries to help him when he applies at the U.S. embassy for a visa. Toto’s story is presented as a comedy but the core of his life is actually very dramatic, especially after he experiences deceit and betrayal.

Aside from Bibeth and Bembol as his parents, also in the cast are Mara Lopez and Liza Dino as his love interests, Rafa Siguion Reyna, Neil Ryan Sese and Thou Reyes as his friends, David Farmer as the American consul who interviews him at the embassy, and Raul Montesa, Marnie Lapuz and Che Ramos who act as his fake parents.