Alessandra de Rossi on life after ‘Kita Kita’ and new movie ‘12’

MANILA, Philippines – Alessandra de Rossi is not one to brag about being hailed the newest box-office queen. Even after Kita Kita became the highest grossing independent film to date, raking in P320 million at the box office, she shared that working on projects that speak to her as an artist remains her top priority.

During the grand presscon for her upcoming film, 12, on Wednesday, October 11, Alessandra shared that there were really no significant changes in her life after the sleeper hit, Kita Kita.

“Maaring nagbago ‘yung tingin ng mga tao sa paligid ko, pero ako wala talaga… Not for me, for them siguro na parang i-consider n’yo ‘yung ibang tao. Give them a chance dahil puwede. ‘Di porke’t sikat, kikita ‘yung pelikula mo at ‘di porke’t ‘di sikat, walang manoonood.”

(The attention of people might have changed around me, but nothing really big for me…Not for me, for them I guess to consider other people. Give them the chance because you can. Just because you’re popular, your movie is a box-office hit, and because you’re not popular, no one will watch your movie.)

For Alessandra, the success of Kita Kita only proved that having a good screenplay is just as important as hiring the right actors for the role.

“Sabi nga nila ngayon, ‘pag may pangalan ko, kahit papano alam mong kayang umarte. ‘Di tulad before, kahit si Alex yung bagay sa role, ‘Ay kukuha na lang tayo ng artista na mas maraming fans, baka mas maraming manood.’ Ngayon ‘di na nagma-matter kung may fans or wala, kasi nga ang importante ‘yung kuwento. So di pa rin ako ‘yun, yung kwento,” she said.

(As they say, when you have, you know how to act. Unlike before, when the role suits Alex, ‘we’ll just get an actor who has a lot of fans, so people will watch. Now, it doesn’t matter if you have fans or not, because the story is the one that’s important. So it’s not me, but the story itself.)

She also denied that her talent fee increased after Kita Kita. In 12, Alessandra even waived her fee, saying that she’s happy to see her passion project come to life.

“Merong mga [nagsasabi] dapat magdemand ka. Pero ‘di nga ako nagpabayad dito, gusto ko lang syang gawin. Ever since naman ganun ako. May mga films na ginagawa ko, halos walang bayad. Promise, Starbucks lang bayad pero isang buong araw akong pinapahirapan ako. Pero masaya ako eh. Hanggang ngayon ganun pa rin naman ako. Ayoko [masabihan] ng, ‘Hindi ko nakuha si Alessandra de Rossi kasi di ko sya na-afford.’”

(There are some [who say] that I should demand an increase. But I did not asked to be paid for this one (12) because I want to do it. I always been like that ever since. I did a lot of films that most of the time, I was not even paid. Promise. They paid me in Starbucks but I worked hard the whole day. But it’s fulfilling. Up to now, I’m still like that. I don’t want to be told ‘I was not able to get Alessandra de Rossi because I could not afford her.)

For Alempoy fans eagerly waiting for their next movie, she promised that there are several projects in the works. But Alessandra doesn’t want to think of herself and Empoy as a “love team.” As an actress, she refuses to get stuck playing the same role over and over again.

“Sobrang daming naka-line-up for us. Sobrang excited din akong gawin ‘yun pero syempre may sarili kaming buhay. Saka ‘di naman kami parang love team na ‘pag gumawa ka ng project without him, wala ng kuwenta yung project mo. Or may fans ba kaming ganun na magagalit, tanda na namin ha, ‘di ba?”

(There’s so much lined up for us. We’re both excited to do it of course, but we have our own lives. And we’re not a love team that would do projects without each other. Or would have fans that will get mad. After all, we’re both old.)

“Twenty years akong artista before Alempoy. Of course marami namang naka-line up together, pero marami ring naka-line up na magkaiba.”

(I’ve been in the business for 20 years before Alempoy. Of course there are many projects that are line-up together, but there are other projects as well.)

On her new movie: 12

Alessandra gave it her all for 12. Apart from starring in it opposite newcomer Ivan Padilla, Alessandra also wrote the screenplay, as well as compose the movie’s official soundtrack, alongside Marc Abaya.

12 tells the story of a couple, Anton (Ivan) and Erika (Alessandra), who after being together for 12 years find themselves asking the question: Is there a love worth losing yourself for?

“Yun ‘yung tanong dito. Paano kung ikaw na lang ‘yung bigay ng bigay pero wala na, kumbaga wala ka nang maibigay? Kumbaga sa cellphone low batt ka na. Hindi kasi nare-replenish ‘yung binibinigay mo.”

(That’s the question here. What if you give and give but always end up with nothing. In other words, you have nothing to give anymore? It’s like a cellphone but it’s already low batt. Because what’ you’re give is not being replenished.)

 

 

According to Alessandra, 12 is very different from One More Chance. Although it has somewhat a similar premise, she explained that 12 deals with more sensitive topics, problems that couples can’t even talk to their friends about.

“Mga problema na sa bahay mo lang pwedeng pag-usapan. Di mo pwedeng sabihin sa ibang tao. Ang One More Chance kasi may mga kaibigan na nagpapayo sayo plus nag-aaway sila in public. Ito sa loob lang talaga sila ng bahay yung mga, ‘Uy nakakahiya baka may makarinig sayo.”

(These are problems that you can only talk about at home. You can’t tell other people. In One More Chance, you have friends who can give you advice, plus you argue or fight in public. Here, it;s only inside the house like ‘this is embarassing as neighbors might hear you.)

Although she wrote the screenplay, Alessandra shared that not everything we’ll see in 12 is inspired by her real life experiences.

“Maraming eksena d’yan, or linya dyan na, nasabi sa ‘kin or na-wish kong sinabi ko, pero hindi sa akin based yung kwento. Maraming tao sa paligid ko ang nakaranas n’yan, whether close sa’kin or hindi. Makikita mo nga dito na pareparehas lang talaga problema ng relationships.”

(There are many scenes or lines in the movie that were told to me or I wished I said it, but the story is not based on my life. There are so many people around me who went through it, whether they’re close to me or not. In the movie, you’ll see that all relationships have the same problems.)

 

Meanwhile, Alessandra shared that she’s also working on another screenplay, this time with Piolo Pascual as her leading man.

“‘Di ko alam kung tatanggapin n’ya. Mag-best friend. Parang story namin ng best friend ko and since best friend nya si Joyce Bernal ganun din ‘yung relationship nila. Kaya nilang matulog sa tabi ng isa’t isa na walang problema. Ganun din kami ng best friend ko. So naisip ko baga ‘to kay Papa P pero I don’t know kung tatanggapin niya.”

(I don’t know if he’ll accept it. The story is about two best friends. It’s like the story of my best friend and me, and since he and Joyce Bernal are best friends, their relationship is like that. They can sleep next to each other with no problems. My best friend and I are like that as well. So I thought, it might suit Papa P, but I don’t know if he’ll accept it.)

12 opens in theaters nationwide starting November 8. – Rappler.com