GERALD Anderson is Kapamilya and Kylie Padilla is Kapuso, but they are now paired together for the first time in “Unravel, A Swiss Side Story”, an official entry in the Summer Metro Manila Filmfest that starts showing in theaters on April 8, Black Saturday.
So how is their experience working with each other?
“I’ve seen Gerald’s past movies and shows with Kim Chiu and I’m a fan, so it’s really an honor for me to get to work with someone I admire,” says Kylie.
“It’s exciting to work with someone for the first time. But at first, I thought baka he has a big ego, mayabang, but I quickly appreciated his humility. He is a real gentleman who is just very quiet on the set, but I can feel he’s taking care of me.”
“I first met Kylie when we had a look test with our director, RC de los Reyes,” says Gerald.
“Mabilis ang proceso ng movie. Our next meeting was in Switrzerland na, where we shot the movie on location. And I’m glad na sobrang gaan katrabaho si Kylie.
"She’s so professional and it’s refreshing to work with someone from another network. During our break, kapag kakain na, magkakasama kaming lahat with the crew.
"But more than anything else, nakaka-bilib talaga siya kasi the scenes we did were a bit intense and scary, but she is so dedicated to her craft and she nailed it.”
Since they are working in a foreign country, they have much time for bonding.
“Si Kylie, you can say she is one of the boys,” Gerald adds. “Masarap siyang kakuwentuhan during shooting breaks.”
The film tackles a very serious topic: assisted voluntary death or suicide. It is a legal practice allowed in some European countries.
In the story, Kylie plays Lucy, a young woman with mental health problems like anxiety and depression after she separated from her wife-beating husband. She plans to end her own life.
In Switzerland, she meets Gerald as Noah, who's half Swiss-half Filipino, who persuades her to try being more adventurous and experience exciting things in Switzerland before she takes her own life. Their romance becomes a very unique love story.
Aside from the engaging story that tackles life and death, the film takes you around the pristine beauty of a country like Switzerland, famous not only for its snowy mountains and lovely lakes but also for its fabled Swiss chocolates.
Kylie adds that they don’t romanticize suicide in the movie.
“It’s a very sensitive topic,but when I read the script, very character-driven ito and centers on hope and positivity, so that is why I accepted this project.
"I really felt for my character, Lucy, through whose eyes we are watching the film. I think a lot of people can relate with her personal journey.
"When you watch the movie, you’ll understand her better. Kasi ako after I read the whole script, it helped me out in a way that I didn’t think it would.”
How about Gerald, how did the movie strike him?
“I think it tells us to be kinder to other people. Just be nice because you don’t know what they’re going through. Hindi mo alam kung kamusta yung araw niya, ano pinagdaraanan niya.
"And being nice and kind is not an expensive thing to do. It’s something that we all can do in showing our respect for each other.”
He says shooting it in Switzerland made it very memorable.
“Napakaganda talaga ng Switzerland and its people are very friendly. So naging masaya yung shoot namin kasi maganda, malamig ang weather and the sights are really spectacular.
"We were able to sky-dive on top of the Swiss Alps and do canyon swing sa bundok, which is one of the most awesome things I’ve ever seen in my life. We even went swimming sa lake.”
“Our movie’s subject is quite mabigat kasi suicide, but everytime heavy ang mga eksena, I’d just look out and see the mountains and they can be so relaxing,” says Kylie.
“Everyone should get to visit Switzerland even once in their life time kasi nakaka-boost siya ng energy. Very inspiring, so it’s really worth it.”
Don’t miss “Unravel” from MAVX Productions, written by Sennedy Que who says its a tribute to his mentor Jake Tordesillas, when it opens in theaters nationwide on Black Saturday, April 8.
Let’s all support the local movie industry’s entries in the coming Summer Metro-Manila Filmfest.
