October 2, 2024 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — After sweeping awards at the sixth edition of the Sinag Maynila Film Festival, the family drama “Her Locket” will premiere on Oct. 3 at the San Diego Filipino Film Festival 2024, to be held at the AMC Plaza Bonita, San Diego.
“Her Locket” is helmed by J.E. Tiglao and stars producer-lead actress Rebecca Chuaunsu, Elora Españo, Boo Gabunada and Sophie Ng, among others.
In a previous interview, the cast members shared how the issues tackled in the film are still relevant to this day.
The story started in the ‘70s. Filipino-Chinese actress, Rebecca, who portrayed Jewel Ouyang, told The STAR that the themes in the movie are the same until today.
“No. 1, during our time, I cannot date Filipinos. No. 2, I cannot go into showbiz. No. 3, Chinese always favor the sons rather than the daughters. Until today, it’s the same,” said she.
Sophie, who plays the young Jewel, said that she resonated with her character as well. “It’s really close to home.” She did her research about the Filipino-Chinese women in the ‘70s and realized that the story itself is just like her in real life.
Sinag Maynila Film Festival 2024 Best Film ‘Her Locket’ is set to premiere at the San Diego Filipino Film Festival 2024 on Oct. 3.
“So, when I was talking to her (Rebecca), we had this heart-to-heart talk about it. Her story from my story right now, hindi siya nagkakalayo,” Sophie, also a Filipino-Chinese, divulged.
“Actually, during filming, what’s happening there in film, is also happening in real life. I couldn’t date a Filipino. The parents of Jewel didn’t know that she’s taking film. And I’m also taking film at MINT College. My parents also didn’t know. So, during filming, parang ganap-ganap na talaga yung pagiging Jewel.”
She was happy that she finally got to voice out what’s happening to her and was able to tell it through the film.
Boo, on the other hand, remarked that it was a “big learning experience” for him that the issues before still pervade in the Chinese community. He essays the role of Kyle Nicolas, Jewel’s lawyer son, who takes care of her mom with dementia.
“For my character, specifically, I think what became my issue or conflict (is that) at what cost all of this revenger being able to get justice, its effect on the family, psyche, with my mom’s fight. Kasi parang inako ko yung fight ng mom ko. But at one point, ‘Ako na lang ba yung lumalaban nun or maybe because her health is deteriorating?’”
Elora, who plays the Filipino caregiver of Jewel, stated that the film mirrors the realities of unemployment. “And at the same time, parang ano yung kayang gawin ng isang tao na gustong mag-survive,” she added.
“Her Locket” started as a revenge film, Rebecca revealed. “Thirty-two years ago, my father wrote his last will and testament, and nobody gives a deal about it, but being a woman who is strong, I fought for gender equality. The ideas started popping up there. But whether it ended up as a revenge film or not, you have to watch (it).”
Rebecca furthered that they didn’t know what the category was for the film. But when they went to the 2023 Marché du Film–Festival de Cannes in France and the 2023 London East Asia International Film Festival in the United Kingdom, she was told that “Her Locket” was classified as a family drama with women empowerment as the theme.
The movie also took part at the 22nd Dhaka International Film Festival in Bangladesh and won Rebecca the Best Actress award at the WuWei Taipei International Film Festival last September.
At the Sinag Maynila, “Her Locket” bagged eight awards, including, Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay for J.E., Best Actress for Rebecca, Best Supporting Actress for Elora, Best Production Design for James Rosendal, Best Cinematography for Jag Concepcion, and Best Ensemble Acting.
On how the film would affect the Filipino-Chinese community, Rebecca told this paper, “I tell you a lot of lawyers in my film are my lawyers. They said, ‘You dare to show this film in the Philippines? (Sinag Maynila)’ I said, ‘Why not?’ Because I’ve been showing them abroad. Iba yung feel, eh, for Filipino-Chinese and for Filipinos like us. So, it might break the barrier, it might cause more problems but the film is out there.”
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