Triumphant trilogy

CEBU, Philippines -  They probably say this of Eugene Domingo each year ever since she broke into mainstream stardom through 2009’s “Kimmy Dora: Kambal sa Kiyeme,” but it’s worth repeating that it has been another banner year for the award-winning actress!

She’s got to be one of the busiest in the business: six movies alone this 2013, television shows, and yet another harvest of awards in international film festivals, most recent of which was her Best Actress win last October at the Tokyo Film Festival for her performance in “Barber’s Tales.” This theater baby might have been a late bloomer in the fame game, but boy, is she making up for it big time.

The “Celebrity Bluff” host caps a very productive year with the third and final installment to the Kimmy Dora series, this time titled “Kimmy Dora: Ang Kiyemeng Prequel.” Eugene as the hilarious twin heiresses, Kimmy and Dora Go Dong Hae, is back with a vengeance in a prelude story that can only be brilliantly written by the talented Chris Martinez, with Joyce Bernal as his co-director.

The usual suspects – Ariel Urieta, Moi Bien, Angel Aquino – are still ever-present, with the addition this time of bankable actor Joel Torre and dashing leading man Sam Milby. Revolving around fresh-grads Kimmy and Dora’s internship to pursue their family’s chain of businesses in the future, “Kimmy Dora: Ang Kiyemeng Prequel” is Spring Film’s official entry to the 2013 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) which opens this Christmas. Quantum Films and MJM Productions are co-producers.

Here yesterday were Eugene and Sam for promo shows at Gaisano South and Gaisano Mactan. Excerpts below of Eugene’s interview with the Cebu press:

What magic does a Eugene Domingo possess to have all these hit and critically-acclaimed films?

I think I am blessed with good material all the time and very good co-actors in every project that I do. And I’m very thankful to all my producers, most especially to Spring Films, because they believed in me from Kimmy Dora 1, up until this third one. This is the third and last installment, and this is extra special to me because I believe it’s the best among the three, and I hope I am right.

What makes you claim with confidence that this third ‘Kimmy Dora’ is the best?

I think by the third time, we can call ourselves experts already, especially with the characterization of the twins. Director Joyce Bernal, she helped me shape the characters of the twins. By the third installment, it’s already set. For this one, we concentrated on the action part. The script by Chris Martinez is luckily, still very funny. We didn’t change the creative team, just the technical team. We can say that we are pretty much more familiar on how to do this. We are most proud of the technical aspect of this film, aside from the fact that it is still funny. We also have a lot of cameos: Paulo Avelino, Tuesday Vargas, John Lapus, Piolo Pascual, Mylene Dizon, Zanjoe Marudo and Dingdong Dantes. Where else can you see a lot of handsome guys in one film? As you all know, our scriptwriter-director Chris Martinez is also my bestfriend. He will not lie to me. He saw it already, and he said it’s hilarious, glorious, dazzling and a triumph. I trust him, and please trust us as well.

How do deal with the pressure that this finale do well in the box-office?

I don’t think pressure is the right term for me now. I just feel very, very excited. We have two more days before our premiere screening, and we’re really very excited. I’m hoping and I’m asking for all your help – please make us top three.

Why have you set your sights merely on third place?

Realistically speaking, those who really earn at the MMFF are the top three movies. It’s hard to aim for the number one spot. Hindi naman ako bulag. They have all the means to promote, and promotion is a very important factor in selling a film. We don’t have a major network behind us to help spread the word, but I appreciate how we do this. So we’re relying on the media, social networks and through word of mouth. I’m already used to promoting this way. I’m confident that people like you here in Cebu will help spread the word. So taking the top three spot, hopefully, will already be a blessing.

Is earning money for your film more important to you now than winning awards?

Of course, it’s always good to win an award! It’s still a great honor to be acknowledged by the MMFF jurors. Any award would be a beautiful Christmas gift. But aside from that, or more than that, [it would be even better] for the producers to earn and for many people to see the efforts we put into the movie.

There’s tight competition in the MMFF box-office race with the entries of Vic Sotto-Kris Aquino, Vice Ganda and the popular tandem of Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla. What are your expectations?

I just know that ‘Kimmy Dora’ has an audience. And I know the audience will fight for what they like. I believe in the audience of ‘Kimmy Dora.’

The first two “Kimmy Dora” films were not MMFF entries. What made the production decide to field it as an entry this year?

When I did ‘Ang Babae sa Septic Tank’ in 2011, I told Piolo Pascual [one of the film’s producers], ‘Let’s do Kimmy Dora for the Metro Manila Film Festival.’ But then, ‘Septic Tank’ came in, and I thought it would be a better entry that year than ‘Kimmy Dora.’ So we had a misunderstanding. It was a promise I made to him, but I broke it. This year, I’m very happy that I’ll be able to fulfill my promise to Piolo. I will be forever thankful to Piolo because without him, there will be no ‘Kimmy Dora.’ The MMFF is the perfect venue for this last ‘Kimmy Dora’ film because it’s just all Tagalog films being shown in the cinemas, and we have no competition from Hollywood. It’s a celebration of Filipino movies, and I want ‘Kimmy Dora’ to be a part of that celebration. I’m very proud and it’s such an honor for me to be in the same festival as these bankable stars such as Vic Sotto, Kris Aquino and Vice Ganda.

How do you think the Philippine brand of comedy has evolved from the time you joined the industry until the present?

I think we are more open to out-of-the-box type of comedy. It’s amazing for ‘Kimmy Dora,’ because not only does Chris Martinez inject his brand of intelligent humor in his script, but we also try to be more sophisticated in making the film. I’m particularly very proud of the camera we used, which is called the Modula, or motion-controlled camera. It’s used in movies like ‘Harry Potter,’ ‘Gravity’ and ‘Star Wars.’ Luckily, we have one here in the country, and only Unitel owns it. We have a special video in YouTube about it, where it talks about the film’s lighting, camera works, and how we made this movie. Our director Chris Martinez really tried his best to push for a sophisticated kind of filmmaking – and I think it’s about time we do that.

What’s the effect of using the Modula camera versus the normal camera used in Philippine movies?

The camera is programmed. It has the ability to repeat movement, so it’s more flawless and the character on screen can be multiplied. For example, yung character ko on-screen, pwedeng maging pito, and it would look flawless. In the case of Kimmy and Dora, they can both appear in one scene together with contact. Very high-tech. I tell you, the technology is great, but it could test your patience since you have to do it again and again. You have to listen to the camera because it has commands. But when you see the result – amazing!

Describe how you felt doing your last scenes as Kimmy and Dora – these hit characters that catapulted you to mainstream stardom.

Mixed emotions. Very sentimental. After I put on my makeup for the last time for Dora, I looked at the mirror, took a picture, and told my character thank you and goodbye. I did the same after my last makeup as Kimmy. I will miss both of them. I feel like they’re really my sisters. If you tell me that this will be my last movie, I will already be more than happy. This became bigger than I thought it would be. In fact, the first Kimmy Dora, I did not really consider it my launching movie. I just agreed to it because I like working with Chris Martinez and Joyce Bernal, and Piolo is so kind. But if you ask me, I was content with what I had in 2009. All this is more than I dreamed of.

What’s next for you after bidding goodbye to ‘Kimmy Dora’?

Chris Martinez and I have been talking about a character that could also possibly become a franchise. But not next year. I’m going to take it really easy next year. Because I did six movies this year. I’m just happy that I fulfilled my wish for 2013 to do more movies. I’ll just probably plant in my garden and attend film festivals in 2014. It will be all about myself.

How does it feel to be tagged as the Darling of Asian Cinema?

I’m still working on it, but I love the title. It was with my film ‘Barber’s Tales,’ where I was given that title. I think it will be shown here maybe second quarter of next year. Whenever I attend festivals with a new film of mine, whether it be drama or comedy, I make sure I am Miss Friendship. It’s usually that way with Filipinos, right? They love us because we are very warm people and we smile more often than any other race, as they say. It feels good to be called a darling, and to be collaborating with other Asian actors and directors.

Are you really giving yourself a 2014 deadline to find love?

Yes, because there’s still so much I can do. I can’t just wait and hope forever. It’s better to give it a deadline. One of my talents is fixing my calendar. I’m an expert at that. So trust me, it’s going to be next year. If not, that’s it. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to live a sad life. It just means I know when to stop and move on.

How will you spend your Christmas?

I will spend December 25th watching ‘Kimmy Dora’ and going around the malls to thank moviegoers who will watch her film. I’m also very happy because my best friend Clint Ramos, who is Cebuano, is finally coming home again. He’s an award-winning production and costume designer in New York. Photos by ALDO BANAYNAL