Just as when Regal Entertainment’s Cinemalaya XX romantic-comedy entry, “Love Child,” was scheduled to be shown in local theaters, producer Lily Monteverde passed away on Aug. 4. She was 85 and would have turned 86 on Aug. 19.
However, the show must go on. A bittersweet moment as Roselle Monteverde even graced the premiere of “Love Child” on Aug. 5, the first day of the wake for Mother Lily. Which just goes to show how much Regal values the cinema audiences.
“This (film) is a love message to all parents out there, especially to the Monteverde family, so their voices and stories will be heard by many people,” said actress Jane Oineza, who plays the challenging role of a young mom whose four-year-old son, Kali, suffers from autism in “Love Child.”
“I’m really thankful to Regal for producing ‘Love Child,’” asserted RK Bagatsing. “This is not just for awesome moms, but for parents to be seen, heard and reach more people. We want to highlight their unconditional love and sacrifices, their strength in the middle of adversities, everything that they are fighting for.”
RK’s parents were present during the premiere of “Love Child” and he also dedicated the film to them.
“I told myself this movie is the pay-off for all my parents’ sacrifices for us,” said RK. “I was emotional, but that was my goal before Pao (his role, Paolo) came out. I was lucky to do this movie with my special someone (Jane).”
Jane and RK play the young couple Ayla and Paolo who are raising a son with autism. Even if their life settings become difficult, the couple is not giving up.
For Jane, “Love Child” was such a big blessing for her. “This was one of the projects we were praying for,” she said. “We were very lucky that we were the ones whom Regal chose for the roles of Ayla and Paolo.
“The story and the theme were very close to us. My attachment to this project was so real and I’m very thankful that we got to do this.”
The reel and real love team filmed “Love Child” in Silay, Negros Occidental, their “wonderland” for 15 days, with director Jonathan Jurilla at the helm.
“We didn’t want to lose the connection that direk Jonathan started,” said RK. “This is his story. It’s a love letter to his son with autism, Oyen. We don’t want to lose the message. We learned about unconditional love and sacrifices.
“Family is love. It’s nice to have a support system. I guess you’ll never really learn how it is once you are there. The 15 days for us were just trial. It wasn’t easy. The ones who were there were different. We take our hats off to them. This is our love letter to all the parents.”
Direk Jonathan’s son was diagnosed with autism at the age of two. He is now 16. The family learned to live with that although it was never easy.
“Love Child” follows the story of a young couple, Ayla and Paolo, who fell in love when they were still in college. She wants to become a lawyer and dreams of becoming a filmmaker even as they raise their son with autism. Even if their life settings become difficult, the couple is not giving up.
The protagonists are portrayed by Jane and RK, who are paired anew on the big screen. They first teamed up in 2020 in director Joy Aquino’s romance-drama, “Us Again.”
The young couple cannot be thankful enough that they are paired again this time in “Love Child,” that navigates the challenge of raising an autistic son, Kali (John Tyrone Ramos) in an increasingly unforgiving world that will test their love and resilience.
“Love Child” is a collaboration not just of the whole team, but the whole family at Regal. Jane and RK did a constant hand-holding throughout the whole journey that they filmed “Love Child.”
The characters and events have been changed for a more dramatic and artistic retelling of the narrative, with different circumstances, struggles and daily experiences.
“To my surprise, when the first trailer was released, I discovered that the experiences resonated with many other parents who have a child with autism, highlighting the common and relatable nature of our shared journey,” said director Jonathan.
More importantly, Jane and RK also dedicate the film to Regal matriarch Lily Monteverde, whose contribution to the showbiz world, TV and film is unmatched.
In more than five decades, Mother Lily, as she was fondly called, gave the big break to top caliber actors, directors and scriptwriters.
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