Actress Sanya Lopez was happy to accept the role of the charming but materialistic Paris, a Pinay OFW working as a bar hostess in Japan, in her new film Midnight Girls. The film, which was shot entirely in the city of Nagoya, follows the story of four Filipinos forced to work abroad in order to help support their families in the Philippines.
“Isa siguro sa nakapag-pa-oo sa akin sa project na ito ay yung ganda ng storya, very honest, very raw. Na yun talaga yung buhay ng mga entertainers sa Japan. At siguro this is something new for me. Never pa ata ako nakagawa ng ganito. Excited ako nung siyempre makakasama ko si ate Jodi (Sta. Maria), Jane (Oineza), at Loisa (Andalio). At isa pa, pag si direk Irene ang gumawa ng kuwento, alam mong mapanakit. So alam natin yan. Kaya maraming salamat sa lahat ng nakapanood agad. Sana ay nagustuhan ninyo. So lahat ng yun, nakaka-challenge tapos Nihongo pa (yung dialogue),” Sanya shared during the Midnight Girls special media screening held earlier this month.
READ: Director Irene Villamor handpicked Jodi Sta. Maria to star in her new film 'Midnight Girls'
In the film, aside from entertaining Japanese customers at the bar, Sanya’s character also had extended dialogue with a romantic interest from her past who suddenly reappears to rekindle their relationship.
“Challenging pa sa akin yung kailangan emotional ka tapos kailangan Nihongo. Siyempre challenge yun para sa akin na maramdaman ko mismo yung sinasabi ko at maramdaman rin nung ka-eksena ko yung sinasabi ko at siyempre nung mga manunuod din. Pero pinaka-nagustuhan ko talaga yung tungkol sa sakripisyo ng bawat isa, na lahat tayo may pinagdadaanan. Hindi natatago ng bawat ngiti natin yung mga pinagdaraanan natin sa buhay. So isa talaga yun sa mga nagustuhan ko sa story,” she explained.
The Midnight Girls actress shared how she and her co-stars prepared for speaking in another language with some help from a coach. “Meron kaming rehearsal nung coach namin. Tinuturo niya yung proper na pag-pronounce ng Nihongo. Kasi gusto mo na maintindihan ka talaga ng kausap mong Japanese di ba? So yun yung mga preparation namin. Hindi naman kami masyadong nahirapan, konti lang. Mahirap pala talaga siya (laughs),” she added.
READ: Jodi Sta. Maria shares experience working as a hostess in Japan in film 'Midnight Girls'
One unexpected challenge came when there were major revisions to her script when one Japanese cast member commented on how they could improve the dialogue to make it sound more natural.
“Kasi after aralin yung script, we had one month na pinag-aaralan namin talaga siya, yung una naming script ng Nihongo. Tapos pagdating namin sa Japan, nag-panic na kami kasi pinalitan lahat. As in lahat ng sinasabi namin dun. And we only had three days to prepare for that mga sequences na Nihongo. So panic talaga kami ni ate Jodi (laughs). Ang dami kasi naming sinasabi na Nihongo. Pero na-enjoy rin naman namin yun,” she revealed.
Sanya also got some help and support from the Japanese members of the production crew who would be there during her scenes to give feedback on how she delivered her lines.
“Yung Nihongo talaga yun ang pinaka-challenge sa akin. Pero ang nagbigay talaga sa akin ng result yung reaksiyon ng taong mga nakapaligid din na nanunuod nun eh. Nung nag-re-react yung mga Hapon at saka yung mga babaeng mga Pinay dun. Ibig sabihin tama yun. So nung nag-re-react sila, ibig sabihin tama yung ginagawa ko. And yung isa naman, actually mahirap siya gawin kasi isang take lang. Yung scene naming apat na dire-diretso, yung medyo mabigat. Medyo bandang dulo, yung sa amin. Pero nung time na sinu-shoot namin yung one take na yun hindi namin nararamdaman na one take lang yun, yung pressure na yun. Mas yung kailangan namin maramdaman yung kailangan maramdaman sa pinaka-eksena,” she explained.