Piolo Pascual (CDN PHOTO/XAVIER SOLIS)
ALTHOUGH their movie features two characters contemplating on ending their lives, it does not romanticize suicide.
This was what actor-producer Piolo Pascual emphasized when he talked with the Cebu entertainment press last Friday to promote his latest film, “Last Night.”
“We are not championing suicide. This is not about suicide. This is really about love. It is really about hope. We are telling a story. When a story is nice you want it to be told,” said Pascual, who stars in the movie with Toni Gonzaga.
Produced by Star Cinema, Spring Films and N2 Productions, “Last Night” opened in more than 200 theaters nationwide last September 27.
Coincidentally, September is Suicide Prevention Awareness month. In the film, Piolo plays the role of Mark, a hopeless and depressed guy who is thinking of jumping off Jones Bridge.
There, he meets Carmina (portrayed by Gonzaga), who gets stuck after jumping off the bridge then shouts at him to ask for help. After having “saved” each other, the two decide to spend their “last night” together as they think of ways to end their lives.
GETTING INTO CHARACTER
To better understand his role’s emotional requirement, Piolo said he had to interview people who went through the same situation. “
What was good about it is that we shot the film chronologically, so it was favorable for me because I went through the journey as we went along with the shoot. It was easier for us to process and go through the journey of the characters since we shot it from the beginning,” he explained.
The film was shot four months after Gonzaga gave birth to her first-born Seve with director Paul Soriano.
“She thought we were only doing it (jumping off the bridge) in the studio. But on the first day of shoot when we were doing the first scene of the film and when she found out I was doing it she said she would do it as well. From there, she kinda set the tone already. We had a lot of stunts but she was always game,” he added.
The film was shot in five months in three different locations.
Piolo said they have been getting mostly positive feedback from those who have already watched the movie.
“It taught them how to love again. For that we are happy that people can relate to it and people can identify the characters and journey, the situation. That was really the intention of the film,” he added.
NO TO SUICIDE
Getting his message across, Piolo said he is personally against suicide.
Asked if he would consider suicide as an option, the actor was quick to reply: “Never! I am a Christian. I had a hard time attacking my character as well because I never believed in suicide. I never believed in a person taking his own life.”
He also offered a message for people going through loneliness or depression.
“Sometimes we tend to isolate ourselves and commit suicide because we don’t want people to understand us. Depending on your issue or reasons. It is important for us to put it out there, to expose it, and get help from people especially to those who do not know what is going on. Because at the end of the day, we are a community. You want to be able to help, you want to be able to know what is happening. We don’t want to turn a blind eye on what is happening around. That is why we have this movie,” Pascual said.
BELA’S SCRIPT
“Last Night” is the second film of Gonzaga and Pascual, after starring together in the 2014 blockbuster hit “Starting Over Again.”
Directed by Bb. Joyce Bernal, “Last Night” is written by actress Bela Padilla from a story she and film producer Neil Arce conceptualized.
Pascual was all praises for Padilla, saying that her material was what they had been looking for.
“She has a lot of concepts, she has a lot of ideas and this is her full script she wrote. I’ve always believed in her talent. When this was pitched to me, I did not think twice. Nowadays you want to look for a unique story, something different. I just really like the script and when we sent it to Toni she said yes right away upon reading the script,” the actor said.
NEXT PROJECTS
Aside from promoting “Last Night,” Pascual was in Cebu to open the 110-seater CityMall Cinema in the town of Consolacion.
He shared that after “Last Night,” fans will see him in a film by award-winning director Lav Diaz which was shot in Malaysia. The movie will be released in February next year.
Pascual is also set to work on a new teleserye under ABS-CBN.
Another exciting project is a film to be written and directed by Cebuano filmmaker Victor Villanueva whose latest movie, “Patay Na Si Hesus” was a surprise hit at the recent Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino. “
We are also conceptualizing a part series with UP students in Manila and we want to open opportunities for other filmmakers and writers as well,” Pascual said.