After working together in the 2022 primetime series The Broken Marriage Vow, actress Jane Oineza said she was looking forward to being reunited with Jodi Sta. Maria in their film Midnight Girls. The first TJAV Productions project has both actresses cast as Pinay OFWs in Japan working as bar hostesses along with co-stars Sanya Lopez and Loisa Andalio.
“Siyempre gusto ko maging part nito. Unang una, gusto ko maka-work si direk Irene (Villamor), gustong gusto ko ulit maka-work si ate Jodi. And it’s also a new experience to be working with Sanya (Lopez). Si Loisa (Andalio) din medyo reunion kami, sort of. So I was really looking forward to doing this project. And alam ko rin how much responsibility we have na sa amin naibigay itong kuwentong ito at kami ang mga boses nila para ikuwento yung mga kuwento nila na pinagkatiwala nila sa amin,” Jane shared during the Midnight Girls special screening held earlier this month.
In the film, Jane plays Saki, one of the many longtime Pinay workers in Japan, who is also the breadwinner for her family in the Philippines. Jane’s character in the film also undergoes a complex inner struggle with identity as she questions what she wants to do in the future.
For Jane, doing Saki’s scenes were an emotional acting challenge and were the hardest to shoot. “Siguro yung part na kinikilala na ni Saki yung sarili niya and yung journey niya na yun. Siguro kasi gusto ko siyang mabigyan ng justice yung role and gusto ko tama yung pagkakagawa and malinaw and maiintindihan. Kasi again, I want to represent it properly din,” she said.
The 29-year-old actress also explained what she learned from her interaction with the real-life OFWs in Nagoya, Japan, where the film was shot. Before shooting began, the lead stars were able to undergo a multiple-day immersion at a Japanese nightclub, where they were exposed to real Japanese customers and observed the hostesses at work.
“Unang una, na-meet namin sila, nakasama namin sila, nakita namin yung daily life nila dun, ano ba yung mga routine nila at paano ba sila nag-su-survive, ano mga ginagawa nila to pass the time or how do they prepare for work. So yun yung reality ng everyday life nila, yun ang na-discover ko dun. And yung contrast din I think pag nasa omise (shop) ka, ang ingay ingay, ang daming sounds, ang daming music, may drinks, ganyan, ang daming chikahan. Tapos pag uuwi ka na sa accommodation, biglang ang tahimik. Tapos mararamdaman mo na lang na ganito ito yung na-fi-feel nila, pero siguro times 10 kasi they’re there longer. And they’re doing it for a lot of reasons. For families na nasa Pilipinas pa, or for themselves, yung mga gusto nila ma-achieve in life,” she explained.
After making Midnight Girls, Jane admitted she felt an even bigger responsibility in portraying the stories of the OFWs and sharing them with the world. “Nakaka-proud. Kaya sinasabi ko na yung responsibility na kami yung magkukuwento nun and nasa amin yung responsibility, yung voice nila nasa amin,” she added.
Midnight Girls opens in cinemas nationwide starting May 13.