‘The Loved One’ director would rather make you ‘feel’ than preach

There would have been a time when Irene Villamor was not a filmmaker known for directing relatable stories of love in its many forms, but as a documentarist doing investigative journalism or lifestyle features focused on culture and heritage.

That shift in direction happened in college, when Villamor initially planned to take broadcast journalism at the University of the Philippines Diliman. Because it was a quota course with limited slots, she took film instead, thinking she would have better chances of entering UP and later shift to her preferred program after a semester.

But learning about film history, being exposed to world cinema, and enjoying the culture of being a film student convinced her to no longer switch.

“UP Film Center is where I would watch movies. Sometimes, admission would be free. Other times, I would reserve my lunch money of 80 or 100 pesos just to watch movies there,” she told The FREEMAN, recalling that she wasn’t allowed to go to cinemas during her high school years as she was instructed to avoid hanging out with friends outside school and focus on her studies instead.

It was at the UP Film Center where she discovered her favorite Julia Roberts film, “My Best Friend’s Wedding,” which deepened her love for cinema. “My love for that movie was so passionate. I watch it every year, and it still makes me cry to this day,” she said.

This shift from journalism to film wasn’t abrupt. Growing up with an Ilocana mother who encouraged her to read books and a Cebuano father who allowed her to watch movies on TV late at night, Villamor has always been fascinated with stories.

“When you are a kid from the province where cellphone signals are almost nonexistent, your imagination goes wild. I would read comics, gossip magazines, and watch on our black and white TV. Somehow, I cherish those memories, and those were the seeds of me as a person who loves stories that grew into something else later on.”

Growing up in Zambales, she would often visit Cebu to see relatives in Mandaue City. After her father passed away when she was nine, she moved to Cagayan de Oro to live with relatives, as her mom worked overseas.

Reflecting on her parents’ influence, she said, “I have always been fascinated with stories, based on my experiences with my mom, who always emphasized education, and my dad, who believed kids should have fun.”

Lover, or the loved one?

With a filmography that includes “Sid and Aya: Not a Love Story,” “Ulan,” and “Camp Sawi,” Villamor has always intended for her films to be experienced in theaters. But she is open to streaming, believing her stories shouldn’t be limited to a single platform.

Her film with Jerald Napoles and Kim Molina, “Ikaw at Ako at Ang Ending,” was notably the only one that didn’t receive a theatrical release, debuting exclusively on streaming in 2021 while cinemas were still closed during the pandemic.

“The priority is to engage with the moviegoing audience to fight for cinema, but of course, we acknowledge that the world has changed and that streaming is the game now because it’s more convenient for viewers,” she said. “Wherever you tell stories, tell them. You don’t need to limit where you can tell your stories. I would also like to engage with streaming and create series for Netflix or Amazon.”

Her 2025 film “Only We Know,” starring Charo Santos and Dingdong Dantes, was initially released in cinemas before landing on Netflix months later.

“It was a different take on platonic love and friendship. Some even told me that it was my best work. I think it’s because it’s a pure story, and the male lead isn’t an a--h--- this time,” she said with a laugh. “That type of response gives you growth as a filmmaker and makes you plan what kind of stories you can tell next.”

Villamor’s upcoming film, “The Loved One,” stars Jericho Rosales and Anne Curtis in a non-linear love story told through both color and black and white sequences.

In theaters this Wednesday, February 11, the film marks the Kapamilya actors’ reunion following their 2008 historical romantic drama “Baler.” Rosales and Curtis play Eric and Ellie, former lovers who reunite after 10 years as they unpack the reasons behind the breakup.

Villamor drew inspiration from French philosopher Roland Barthes’ book “A Lover’s Discourse,” which analyzes the language of the “lover” and the “loved one,” and how each perceives their relationship differently.

“The book says that the lover is someone who thinks about the relationship the most, and how they see the loved one,” she said. “Whoever loves more tends to analyze what happens in the relationship a lot. It’s also playing on perspectives, like when friends gather and talk about their relationships from different points of view.”

What sets “The Loved One” apart in her filmography is the lengthy span of the protagonists’ relationship, with moments shown back and forth without explicitly identifying the year.

“Unlike other pairings, like in ‘Sid and Aya’ or ‘St. Gallen,’ where the overview of the relationship is quick, this one is longer. It goes back to different moments, and you get glimpses of them in various years without knowing if it’s 2016 or 2014. It’s like a puzzle,” she said.

The film shifts between black and white in present day scenes and full color in flashbacks. Villamor worked closely with director of photography Pao Orendain and production designer Ferdie Abuel to ensure the visual choices were intentional.

“The present scenes are in black-and-white because that’s the connecting bone of the story. They are both analyzing their relationship. It’s them trying to remove the emotions from the past, like a clean slate,” she explained. “Colors pop in the flashbacks because that’s how we remember things. Anne has this blue dress that pops vividly, which shows our treatment on the colors in this film. Everything is neutral in black and white, but color helps a memory stand out.”

Villamor first conceptualized the film in 2018 under a different studio and with other actors attached, until the pandemic stalled the project.

“The concept got stuck in some form for a while. Since I am a Cornerstone talent, I asked our boss Sir Erickson Raymundo if we could pull it out from the original studio and shop it around actors, which eventually landed on Echo,” she recalled.

After Rosales came on board, Villamor began looking for actresses, including Curtis, to whom she sent the script.

“Anne and I remained close after ‘Sid and Aya’ and even exchanged texts on Instagram. I would throw her ideas, even the weird ones, which she gets because she likes to subvert,” she said. “When I sent her the script for ‘The Loved One,’ she finished it in a day or two and replied that she loved it and asked if I sent it to her to play the lead. I told her Jericho was already attached, and she immediately gave her ‘soft yes’.”

Filming took a year to begin, as both Rosales and Curtis had prior commitments. Curtis was working on “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” and “BuyBust: The Undesirables,” while Rosales was involved with “Lavender Fields” and “Quezon.”

Before filming, Villamor held several meetings with her leads — something she does when pairing actors who are new to working together or, in the case of Rosales and Curtis, haven’t collaborated in a long time. It’s a practice she became known for at a time when it was more common for films to cast established loveteams.

“I always ask them to meet and figure out how they personally relate to the material and give their input. It makes things easier once the shoot starts because they’ve already formed a bond,” she said. “That bonding creates trust. You can’t direct actors well if they don’t gel. You’ve done your job if they deliver great performances together.”

The film’s supporting cast includes Catriona Gray, who makes her acting debut as Nicole, a workmate of Eric. Villamor said, “Catriona has always wanted to act, but she wouldn’t do it unless she was completely sure. She studied the script and went through workshops. She really invested in the project because it’s not easy to shift from being a beauty queen to hosting to acting, and she’s very serious about it.”

Also part of the cast are Jackie Lou Blanco, Max Eigenmann, Ian Pangilinan, Joyce Ann Burton, Adrian Alandy, Mari Kaimo, and Arabella Davao.

“The Loved One” features Cup of Joe’s “Multo” as its main theme song, which was a suggestion from Curtis. The band from Baguio released a stripped-down version of their hit song specifically for the film’s soundtrack.

Like her other films, Villamor isn’t interested in delivering a straightforward message in “The Loved One.” Instead, she hopes the movie resonates on an emotional level, allowing audiences to arrive at their own interpretations.

“It’s hard to answer questions about takeaways because once the movie is out there, it’s already up to the audience,” she said. “My intention is to present this story about these two people, and I hope it makes them feel things without being preached to. If some don’t relate to it, at least they can gain a new perspective.”