Why Vilma Santos feels anxious about her MMFF entry ‘When I Met You In Tokyo’

“It was an anxious time for all of us,” said Vilma Santos to describe how she and onscreen partner Christopher de Leon felt while waiting for news on whether or not their latest movie, “When I Met You In Tokyo” (WIMYIT), would be chosen as a finalist in the 2023 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF).

The film, with Christopher also serving as associate director, initially had a September playdate. Its producer, JG Productions, opted to postpone its commercial release because September was in the middle of the rainy season in the Philippines, Vilma explained.

“We had to endure anxiety for quite a while because of this film,” the actress told Inquirer Entertainment in an exclusive interview. “It took a while to finish it because there were things that needed to be fixed. We then pulled it from its September playdate and decided to just submit it for the MMFF. We got even more anxious when we learned that 30 entries were being considered for only four slots.”

The film is about the love between Azon (Vilma) and Joey (Christopher), who promised himself to never fall in love again after being betrayed by his ex-wife. When he meets Azon, he opens up his heart again, only to discover after a few blissful years together that the woman he cares for is dealing with an age-related debilitating disease, something that will break his heart once more.

Santos (right) with costar Christopher de Leon

Team effort

“This project was really a team effort. We have been congratulating each other when we heard the film was chosen as a finalist. We all worked hard, from our first-time producers (Rowena Jamaji and Rajan Gidwani) to our directors (Conrado Peru and Rommel Peneza), and to Christopher and myself,” said Vilma.

“We made sure to express our opinion in all the scenes we shot. This was to make sure they were age-appropriate. We also didn’t want the film to be too emotionally heavy for the audience. It’s a very simple love story that deals with forgiveness and moving on with life. It tries to teach you that there’s no harm in trying to love again and that love has no boundaries. We think that our reunion project should be a feel-good movie. I think we’ve captured that and we’re all very happy,” said Vilma, adding that this is her 25th film project with Christopher.

Vilma added that this was also the reason Darren Espanto and Cassy Legaspi were included in the cast. “They’re young, so we’re hoping to get the younger crowd through them. They’re responsible for injecting modern ways into the film, like there are scenes when they encouraged us to dance for TikTok with them,” she explained.

Even the fact that the film is set in Tokyo has its purpose, she said. “Yetbo (Vilma’s pet name for Christopher) and I refused to let go of the idea to shoot there. With today’s situation, the audience is always looking for good visuals, although most of our sets were located on farms and not really in the city. In our opinion, especially Yetbo, the associate director, good visuals are important, so expect to see snow, farms, creeks and the beauty of Tokyo.”

Incidentally, Vilma announced that she would be appearing as a guest of “It’s Your Lucky Day,” which is hosted by her son Luis Manzano. She will come in as a judge in one segment on the program’s last of 12 airing days. The show is a temporary replacement for “It’s Showtime!” while it is serving its 12-day suspension imposed by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB).

Vilma Santos

‘Very thankful’

“I’m so happy for my son. He and my granddaughter paid me a visit a few days ago and I told him, ‘I’m proud of you, anak. Even if it was just 12 days, you really gave your all. That’s you showing professionalism.’ Correct me if I’m wrong, Luis’ show has been a consistent trending topic,” she beamed. “God is good, that’s why I’m very thankful. First Luis, and now this, we got included in the 10-title MMFF lineup.”

Vilma said this means she would have to work during Christmastime in order to promote her movie. “I’m sure my family will understand. It’s been a while since I became a public servant, and my show biz career became third in my priorities,” she pointed out. “Right now, it feels like my excitement has returned. I would be happy to join the Christmas parade and ride the float! This is what I feel now, and I’m sure that my family will support me all the way.”

After WIMYIT, Vilma will be working on a zombie movie with action director Erik Matti. “Yes, you heard me right—there will be zombies,” she said, laughing. “I’m just waiting for the second draft of our script. We don’t want to risk the project, so we’re really improving the story.” She is also considering the scripts sent to her by indie directors Brillante Ma Mendoza and Adolfo Alix Jr. INQ