A Second Chance, which is out in cinemas today, is one of the most eagerly anticipated Filipino films for years.
The sequel to the 2007 romantic drama One More Chance, it broke box office records when it was released in the Philippines last weekend, and has already grossed 200 million pesos (Dh15.6m).
The sequel picks up the story of Popoy and Basha, played once again by Filipino box office darlings John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo, seven years after the first film. They may have made the most of “one more chance” at the end of that film, but it seems that seven years of marriage have taken their toll on the relationship.
Popoy has failed in his job and is struggling with his self-esteem, while Basha has given up her dignity to try to keep their marriage together. The film asks whether love can survive when people change.
“I think everybody deserves a second chance,” says Alonzo. “I believe in a lot of chances. I believe in learning from your mistakes and trying to become a better person.”
The first film’s director, Cathy Garcia-Molina, and writers Vanessa Valdez and Carmi Raymundo also return for the sequel.
Valdez says she was inspired to revisit the characters by the love of fans for the first movie. “I’d never really considered returning to the movie,” she says. “But this year, we released a novelisation of the first movie and people reacted so well and started asking what happened to Popoy and Basha.
“It just went on from there with me and Carmi. There was really no expectation. We didn’t want to make a movie exactly the same as the first one. It was a little like it says in the movie: ‘Don’t ask what if? But embrace what is.’ That’s how we approached writing it.
“It was a question of finding a story that wasn’t only true to the characters and their story now they’re a few years older, but is also true to us. The main question was simply, ‘What is a good story to tell?’”
The movie also represents a major watershed for Philippine broadcaster and producer ABS-CBN and its international arm The Filipino Channel. This year marks the 10th anniversary of screening films in the region, and A Second Chance is also the first Filipino movie to get mainstream distribution in Europe, with releases planned in the UK, Italy, France, Spain, Austria and Greece.
Kai Rodriguez, ABS-CBN’s MD for Europe, the Middle East and Africa says: “It’s a great time for Filipino movies – audiences are coming out to watch movies again because the country is making more movies, for one, and number two, we’re making better movies. A milestone like this is really worth celebrating for us.
“We in The Filipino Channel are really relentless about our mission to be in the service of the Filipino community beyond the Philippines’ shores, and also to bring Filipino talent to other audiences around the world, and help the world understand who the Filipino people are and what we are about. To this end, all our films are subtitled in English, too.
"We've already shot one film in Dubai (2005's Dubai), as well as shooting films in San Francisco and Milan, but what we'd like to do in future is work more closely with festivals, and perhaps even hold a Hollywood-style premiere here in Dubai. That would be something really new and exciting for us."
cnewbould@thenational.ae
