JANINE GUTIERREZ feels honored that her movie, “Babae at Baril”, is chosen to be the opening film in the New York Asian Filmfest to be held at the Big Apple from August 28 to September 12.
This year, the filmfest is honoring women filmmakers and Korean films.
Janine personally announced it in her social media account, saying:
“So excited and sooo efffffing wish we could actually go to NY for the North American premiere at the NYAFF. But, nonetheless congrats to the team! ‘Babae at Baril’ is available in the Philippines on Cignal Play streaming.
"I hope you get to see it. So proud to be part of this female-led team with Rae Red as our wrtier-director.”
Janine won best actress award at the OCinema Filmfest held last October for her performance in the film. We’ve seen it and she deserves the trophy.
We got to interview Janine when it was previewed and asked her what she thinks of her role as a lowly department store saleslady who is harassed and raped by her immediate boss.
“I love it that I was totally deglamorized in this film and I think my character represents all the hassle and harassment that women experience everyday, from small to big things,” she says.
“I’m sure a lot of women can relate with her, pati yung hirap niya sa pagpasok at pag-uwi sa trabaho na malayo ang nilalakad niya at nakikipagsiksikan siya sa punuang bus.”
Her character is almost like a doormat but she becomes empowered when she finds a gun in a trash can left there by a drug pusher and she becomes a gun-toting woman who confronts her rapist.
“The movie shows that the formerly timid girl changes dahil yung baril, parang nagbibigay ng kakaibang power. But of course, it’s all up to you to know how to handle it,” she adds.
Janine is happy she’s given diverse roles in the movies. She won a best supporting actress award in the World War II film “Dagsin” and she played the title role in Regal’s “Elise”.
She has completed a new movie, “Ngayon Kaya” (formerly “If We Don’t Make It”), which is supposed to be an entry in the Summer Filmfest last April that didn’t push through because of the pandemic.
She and Paulo Avelino play college best friends with an on and off relationship. As of now, they don’t know yet as to when it will be shown since theaters are still closed because of the ongoing health crisis.
