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Chai Fonacier fights for more benefits for TV and film workers: ‘We all deserve a little more help’

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Rhea Manila Santos

<p>Coming off the heels of fellow Filipina actress Dolly De Leon’s rave reviews in the film Triangle of Sadness, Cebuana actress Chai Fonacier shared why she does not want to pressure herself by comparing her performance in her latest psychological thriller film Nocebo where she plays the role of a mysterious caregiver named Diana.</p><p>Chai’s outstanding performance has already been praised by local and foreign critics alike. In the New York Times, they highlighted her &quot;knack for coiled tension&quot; while movie review site RogerEbert.com noted that her measured performance was well-realized and deeply felt.</p><p>“I go by the words of the great Dolly De Leon when it comes to that, ‘There is no arriving.’ We haven’t gotten anywhere. Where is here anyway? Where is here? It’s just a concept. We’re constantly moving forward,” Chai shared during the special press screening for the film held earlier this month.</p><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-2" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/CnUsnmlviPy/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fent-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A2%2C%22os%22%3A507496.5%2C%22ls%22%3A356090.799999997%2C%22le%22%3A356163.299999997%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="746" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-2" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><a href="https://push.abs-cbn.com/2022/10/5/fresh-scoops/patay-na-si-hesus-star-chai-fonacier-in-trailer-202883"><u><strong>READ: ‘Patay Na Si Hesus’ star Chai Fonacier in trailer for Hollywood thriller alongside Eva Green<br/></strong></u></a></div><p>Even for those who already know Chai for her work in local films like Respeto, Born Beautiful, Sakaling Maging Tayo, and 2016’s Patay na si Hesus, many will be surprised to find out that Nocebo is not her international film debut.</p><p>“No, this is my second, I think. Yung first international film ko kasi, we shot in 2016 but we shot it in Bohol naman. This was an Argentinian film called The Human Surge. Pero yung Nocebo is my first international film na nag-shoot ako outside of the country,” she shared.</p><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CnUsy9FA-Zz/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fent-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A356346%2C%22ls%22%3A356090.799999997%2C%22le%22%3A356163.299999997%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="880" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-0" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><a href="https://push.abs-cbn.com/2021/2/28/fresh-scoops/chai-fonacier-joins-hollywood-stars-eva-green-and-191984"><u><strong>READ: Chai Fonacier joins Hollywood stars Eva Green and Mark Strong in new movie<br/></strong></u></a></div><p>After shooting Nocebo for almost two months in Dublin, Ireland, Chai admitted her biggest realization after being able to compare the working style of film production there to the Philippines.</p><p>“Ang laki ng tulong that film and TV workers deserve. We deserve help. Paulit ulit ko siyang sinasabi, the film and TV industry in itself, nag-ko-contribute na siya economically sa Pilipinas. I think naman na magkaroon tayo ng support na kunwari may benepisyo or kaya work hours, saktong pahinga, saktong kain. At saka mga basic lang naman ito na karapatan ng mga tao di ba? At least mabigay sa mga workers yun, everybody across the board.</p><p>“Yung sinasabi ko na lahat ng mga tao na nasa business ng pagkukuwento. And that includes media workers in general, entertainment and news. I think we all deserve that. I think we all deserve a little more help. Kasi nung nag-shoot ako dun, naramdaman ko talaga, as in proper manggagawa ang feeling ko.</p><p>“As in Monday to Friday, kung tapos na ng alas-otso, tapos na ng alas-otso. Kung may night scenes, late ang call time namin. Tapos okay yung tulog, okay yung kain. Laging pumapasok kami sa umaga na at least saktong pahinga lahat so lahat parang work mode na, naka-focus kasi katawan nila healthy. Okay yung rest, okay sila lahat. Tapos naiinggit ako may mga union sila,” she explained.</p><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-1" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/CnV8N9uLwK3/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fent-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A1%2C%22os%22%3A356362.299999997%2C%22ls%22%3A356090.799999997%2C%22le%22%3A356163.299999997%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="880" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-1" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><a href="https://push.abs-cbn.com/2021/5/7/fresh-scoops/chai-fonacier-on-working-with-hollywood-actress-ev-193292"><u><strong>READ: Chai Fonacier on working with Hollywood actress Eva Green: ‘She is among the best, kindest, most talented people I have ever worked with’<br/></strong></u></a></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-3" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/CnT2x1dL8qF/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fent-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A3%2C%22os%22%3A507514.69999999553%2C%22ls%22%3A356090.799999997%2C%22le%22%3A356163.299999997%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="745" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-3" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><p>Portraying the role of a mambabarang or necromancer in the film, Chai said she was proud to introduce this side of Pinoy culture to the world.</p><p>“I’m glad that we’re able to show this part of our culture. Ang laking parte ng pagan culture natin ang na-erase because of colonialism. And for those who do not know, Ireland has also suffered a similar history. Colonized din sila. A lot of their pagan culture has been erased by Catholicism and by colonialism so medyo parallel yung experience ng Ireland and Philippines historically when it comes to oppression at subjugation by a foreign power.</p><p>“Kaya yung writer at director nakaka-relate sila when it comes to this part of our culture that still persists up until today but let’s admit madami ng nawala diyan. Na-di-demonize nga eh. Yung mga babaylan natin importanteng parte ng community natin na na-demonize siya kasi the Spaniards came and Catholicism came and that has pros and cons but the negative part of that is that malaking part ng identity natin ang nawala. Na hindi nga na-record. I’m glad that by including this in the film, we got to preserve some of that,” she said.</p><p>Directed by  Irish Film and Television Awards-winning filmmaker Lorcan Finnegan, Nocebo centers on Christine, a fashion designer (Eva Green) who suffers from a mysterious illness that confounds her doctors and frustrates her husband, Felix (Mark Strong). Help arrives in the form of Diana, a Filipino nanny (Chai Fonacier) who uses traditional folk healing to reveal a horrifying truth.</p><p>Watch Nocebo in local cinemas starting January 18, Wednesday. Nocebo is distributed by TBA Studios.</p>

<p>‘Nocebo’ star Chai Fonacier shares her new realizations after shooting the psychological thriller film in Dublin, Ireland during the pandemic.</p>

‘Nocebo’ star Chai Fonacier shares her new realizations after shooting the psychological thriller film in Dublin, Ireland during the pandemic.