Rome & Juliet: Women in love

Playing a straight woman-turned-lesbian for indie film Rome & Juliet was never a dream role, but a surreal one for Mylene Dizon.

But for an intense actress like Mylene, there’s no difficult, uncharted character she will not explore for the sake of art or realism.

"It’s difficult," she says of her role. "I’ve never kissed a girl. I’m adventurous but not in that way. It is really difficult. It could have been easier or different if one of us is a butch." But the thespian that she is, Mylene did kiss a girl her co-star Andrea del Rosario in the movie.

From what she said at the press launch of Rome & Juliet, which will have a one-week run starting Feb. 14 at Robinsons Galleria’s IndieSine Theater, Mylene has no qualms portraying a dyke, granting the movie is devoid of steaming and intimate scenes. Initially, she bought the concept when the indie project was offered to her.

When she read the script and images started cropping up in her mind, however, Mylene had second thoughts and declined the project. It was the persistent encouragement of the film’s director Connie Macatuno that made Mylene change her mind.

"I really don’t know why I accepted it," says Mylene. "I had 172 doubts. I thought I couldn’t do it. I knew my mom wouldn’t approve of it (just like how she reacted when I did the movie Gatas). Doing it is just wrong."

Winning the Best Actress award in the recent Cinema One Originals Digital Movie Festivals for Rome & Juliet only proves Mylene did something right: deliver a fine performance in an out-of-the-box role. The movie also won the Best Production Design award and will be exhibited at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival in July.

Besides, Rome & Juliet banks on a theme many can relate to: love. It is a straightforward story on lesbianism. Being involved in this "forbidden affair," as the movie suggests, is a reality and sign of the times.

If there’s one thing Mylene has proven to herself in Rome, it is the fact that she is a woman. "As an actress, Rome is a done-that role. It is like ‘check’ and quota-na-ako-today sort of thing. I will never do it again."

Mylene has also realized a guy usually dominates the kissing. And women play coy with it. This is the same reason why Mylene and Andrea had four takes and a re-shoot to perfect the shower-kissing scene. Having sex on top of the French guy in the movie is also a one-tough act for Mylene.

Mylene will not stop playing roles she has learned to love kontravida and off-beat ones. "The more off it is, the more it is exciting and appealing to me," shares Mylene. "I would like to play someone with a medical or mental problem."

Away from klieg lights, Mylene is a devoted mom to her son. She also supervises her leather journal business. Mylene hops from network to network, doing drama series and guestings here and there.

"I love showbiz," says Mylene. "I love my work." That love or passion makes Mylene yearn for more juicy roles again and again.