MANILA, Philippines — Barbie Forteza, Sanya Lopez, David Licauco, and Alden Richards headline what has been touted as the most important Filipino story for 2024, “Pulang Araw.”
This historical drama, marking the first collaboration between Netflix and GMA Network, tells the stories of Adelina (Barbie), Teresita (Sanya), Hiroshi (David), and Eduardo (Alden) against the backdrop of the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. The show premiered on Netflix this weekend and will start airing on GMA primetime tomorrow.
The pilot episode introduces the half-sibling characters played by Barbie and Alden, whose unbreakable bond was forged after being orphaned at a young age. This bond is bound to endure even when they are torn apart as adults during wartime. Barbie grows up to be a vaudeville entertainer, while Alden becomes a freedom fighter.
Their lives become intertwined with Sanya, Barbie’s half-sibling on their father’s side who ends up as a comfort woman, and David, a childhood friend who becomes part of the Japanese forces. How will their lives and relationships play out in a country ravaged by war?
“This is based on many, many true stories,” director Dominic Zapata told The STAR during an interview about how the show was inspired by Filipinos who sacrificed, perished, and survived during World War II.
While “Pulang Araw” is set during the Japanese invasion and doesn’t shy away from depicting atrocities, he also stressed that “there’s no hatred in this show.”
Direk Dom continued, “More than anything, what we’re really trying to do is a project that can say a lot what a Filipino is and what it really means. Ano yung puso? We say that a lot in Gilas games, ‘Puso, puso!’ We usually refer it to the Filipino, yung puso natin bilang matapang, lumalaban, dugong mandirigma tayo. But hindi lang yun ang Filipino.
“The Filipino is about how we love, how we love each other, our parents… and love is also about forgiveness. (I believe) that’s how we are so different from other cultures, we can forgive.”
As the show brings together some of the most bankable Kapuso stars, the director also offered a glimpse into how his main cast worked on their characters.
On David: “The last time I directed David was in ‘Mulawin Vs. Ravena.’ At the beginning, I’ll be honest, he struggled a bit. But the David I worked with now is very different. He is so passionate that every day after taping, he asks for an assessment because he just wants to know how to make himself better.”
On Alden: “He had a hard time at first because he has a kind face. So we told him, ‘You need to look weathered here, Bro, because you’ve gone through a lot. This is a period project but not like what you did before. Here, you’ve been exposed to the sun and you look strained because you’ve faced hardships.’ It took us a while to figure it out, but damn! When he embraced it, when he really understood it, it was great to see because I saw a completely different (Alden).”
On Sanya: “What a joy to work with, so unassuming. You won’t feel any burden when working with her. When game on, (she’s) game on!”
On Barbie: “I’ve always said this, she’s the Best Actress of her generation. Barbie is spot-on. She’s the real deal. I also like that her process in creating the Adelina character is very similar to mine. That’s why when we talk, she knows (where to adjust). I can also adjust her (portrayal)… She can play around it.”
In a separate one-on-one with The STAR, the lead stars shared more insights into their characters, who their personal heroes are, and why they’re proud to be part of a show such as “Pulang Araw.”
On what they love about their roles:
Barbie: “Maganda siya (laughs). Hindi. What I enjoy most about playing Adelina is her being playful even in difficult scenes. Especially when she comforts her siblings, Eduardo and Teresita. She’d rather lift them up and set aside her personal struggles. Mas inuuna niyang matulungan yung mga mahal niya sa buhay (She prioritizes helping her loved ones). That’s what I really appreciate about Adelina. At saka maganda nga din siya (laughs). ‘Di ba, David?”
David: “Yes, napaka-ganda! Siguro, what I like about my character is the challenge because napakahirap nga nung role na Hiroshi. (Studying the Japanese language) is also the most difficult part of it. But the great thing about him is that he has a clear intention, right? So, I immediately know what his conflict is, and from there, I can direct my acting.”
Alden: “Napaka-seryoso naman kasi nung role ko naman dito as Eduardo. Parang walang puwang sa kanya na magbiro dahil sa mga pinagdaanan niya sa buhay. I’m not like that. Usually off cam, I’m playful. You know, just to to shrug off the heaviness of the scenes that we do.
“That’s one of the challenging parts in doing the character. Usually, yung characters ko get to crack jokes but during takes, with this one, hindi pwede talaga, ako yung binibigyan ng joke, tapos hindi ko alam kung paano mag-re-react. But at the same time, I’m enjoying it because ang sarap din gumawa ng isang character that’s your total opposite in real life.”
Sanya: “Speaking of opposite, hindi rin ako si Teresita. Iba siya kay Sanya. She’s so selfless to the point that she’s able to sacrifice herself for the people she loves and who are important to her. So, nandun yung sakripisyo niya sa kaibigan niya, pamilya niya, mahal niya sa buhay, sa kapatid niya, sa mga kababaihan. So the character is very challenging. It’s really not easy. It’s one of the heaviest roles I’ve ever done. That’s why I said at first that I couldn’t do it. Pero nung napanood ko na siya ngayon at naramdaman rin ng tao yung ‘Pulang Araw,’ kung gaano kaganda ito, mas na-appreciate ko na uy, kaya mo yan, ‘wag ka susuko. So, I love my job!”
On why “Pulang Araw” is important to watch:
Alden: “This is a legacy for them, for people who lived through World War II. And parang kailangan pong mapanood ‘to ng kabataan ngayon because this will serve as a reminder of where we came from and how we obtained the things we enjoy and that bring us joy today. That’s why po siguro it’s the most important project or series of GMA right now dahil yun po ang mensaheng gusto naming maiparating sa mga nanonood.”
Barbie: “Aside, of course, from the beautiful story, it’s the quality of our work, right? Gawang Pinoy, gawang GMA and it’s the very first partnership of Netflix and GMA. Ang laki ng impact nitong show na ito. Talagang pak na pak!”
David: “And the cast, grabe. You have Barbie, Alden, Sanya, and Dennis (Trillo), and many more.”
Sanya: “It’s great to be part of a project like this, which I would say to future generations, they won’t get tired of watching. It’s something we can watch even when we’re old and have our own families. This may be our way to give respect, value, and appreciate the freedom we enjoy today. If it weren’t for their sacrifices, what would our lives be like now? How would our lives be today? That’s why we salute you. And it feels great to be Filipino.”
On their personal heroes in life:
Sanya: “Of course, my family, most especially my lola. Nung mga panahon na talagang hirap ka, (she was there). Lola eh, mahal ka. Ibang-iba ang pagmamahal ng lola, iba yung advice ng lola. So, ang tinitingala ko talaga is my lola. She’s the reason I’m here.”
Alden: “Laking lola din ako. When my mom passed away, it was really my grandmother who took care of us, siblings. At the same time, the wisdom of the elderly in teaching us about life is invaluable. That’s why my greatest hero is my grandmother.”
Barbie: “It’s also my family — nanay ko, tatay ko, at kapatid ko. Even though they didn’t experience World War II, they are my true heroes because they raised me well and supported me every step of the way. My sister, even though she’s far from me, I truly feel her love and support. Ate, I love you.”
David: “Kobe Bryant. He has inspired me so much. Because he was super hardworking, no excuses. So, every time I needed motivation, I would watch his videos. Marami siyang (words of wisdom) about life, the Mamba mentality.”
(Check out www.netflix.com/PulangAraw for details.)