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Director Sigrid Bernardo on writing her new film ‘Walang KaParis’: ‘How can you top Kita Kita?’

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Rhea Manila Santos

<p>After enjoying the success of her 2017 film <em>Kita Kita,</em> director and writer Sigrid Andrea Bernardo admitted coming up with a follow-up project for Alessandra de Rossi and Empoy Marquez did come easy for her.</p><p>“Talagang I was approached to do another one na sila yung tandem. But to be honest, it was really hard for me kasi yung pressure of a writer and director, directing another film, and then siyempre how can you top <em>Kita Kita</em>? So it was very difficult for me and I said noon na I’ll think about it. So I think it was about two years bago ako nakaisip ng kuwento for both of them.</p><p>“I can never top <em>Kita Kita</em> but at the same time, I have to embrace the success of <em>Kita Kita. </em>So what’s the next story? That’s the challenge. It’s not that you should top <em>Kita Kita,</em> you should just tell a good story and what is the best love story for both of them as actors also. Mas matured sila dito, mas matured love story. And they should level up I think from <em>Kita Kita,</em> even the story. That was it,” she explained.</p><div><a href="https://push.abs-cbn.com/2023/3/6/empoy-marquez-and-alessandra-de-rossi-reunite-in-new-film-walang-kaparis-1105"><strong>READ: Empoy Marquez and Alessandra de Rossi reunite in new film ‘Walang KaParis’<br/></strong></a></div><p>If <em>Kita Kita</em> was shot in Japan, direk Sigrid’s latest film took her and the production crew to Paris, France.</p><p>“Kasi naisip ko yung pares pares (laughs). Kasi yun yung totoo. Yun na talaga yung totoo. Kasi nag-iisip ako na yung trabaho ni Mary doon (character of Alessandra) nagtitinda ng pares pares. Ano ba naman yung mangarap makapunta ng Paris? Yun talaga yung totoo, as simple as that. But then I’ve been to Paris kasi siguro mga three times, ganyan, and sobrang na-in love din ako sa place. And when you say Paris, lagi siyang sinasabi na about romance. It’s a romantic city, so bakit naman hindi? (laughs)</p><p>“And also, hindi lang sa Paris kami nag-shoot. Nag-shoot din kami sa Baguio and yun yung makikita ng mga tao. And yun na yung naisip ko talaga kung bakit Paris. Ang challenge lang dun sa Paris is known ang Paris sa touristy spots. Yung makikita niyo dito is yung hindi masyado touristy spots. Siyempre andun yung Eiffel Tower pero it’s another (challenge) in terms of execution and direction. Mas tiningnan namin yung nakatira sa Paris because I have friends there also. Yung struggle nila, and kung saan talaga sila nakatira, saan sila nag-ma-market, saan sila bumibili. hindi yung eye as a tourist but eye as a local in Paris,” she shared.</p><div><a href="https://push.abs-cbn.com/2019/9/17/fresh-scoops/kita-kita-gets-an-indonesian-remake-39126"><strong>READ: ‘Kita Kita’ gets an Indonesian remake<br/></strong></a></div><p>Before flying out of the country to shoot the film, direk Sigrid made sure that her lead stars were well prepared to execute the more dramatic scenes that <em>Walang KaParis</em> demanded.</p><p>“Nag-workshop sila sa ating BAFTA nominee na Dolly De Leon. I think level up yun. Gusto ko rin i-challenge sila kung ano pa yung capacity nila umarte. Kilala ko naman si Alex kung ano yung capacity niya. but always drama naman yung ginagawa ni Alex. Sa personal komedyante siya pero iba pa rin sa screen if she can pull it off. Si Empoy sa drama naman na-pull off naman,” she admitted.</p><div><a href="https://push.abs-cbn.com/2023/3/8/empoy-at-alessandra-de-rossi-muling-bibida-sa-walang-kaparis-push-daily-1506"><strong>WATCH: Empoy at Alessandra De Rossi, muling bibida sa ’Walang KaParis’ | PUSH Daily</strong></a></div><p>Starting production during the pandemic, direk Sigrid said they had to start production even before vaccines became available in the country.</p><p>“Kasi nagsimula kami ng December, wala pang vaccine. Una, nagsisimula pa lang yung lock-in na shoot and we had quarantine muna. So aside from testing PCR pa, malaki yun sa production side lalo na sa budget. Malaki talaga kumain ng budget. tapos yung PCR magkano, mahal pa noon. So bago ka pumunta sa shoot, may PCR kaming lahat and then hiwa-hiwalay yung rooms tapos sobrang hindi kami puwedeng lumabas. Kung ano lang yung sa set, yun. Sinulat ko kasi siya nung 2019 and wala pang pandemic nun. So in-adjust ko yung script nung pandemic na hindi masyadong maraming tao.</p><p>“But then nung nag-shoot kami dun ng August dapat may vaccine ka tapos ang hirap kasi yung pag-apply din sa passport. May quarantine din dapat sa Paris pero wala na. Pero pagbalik ng Pilipinas ni-reroute yung flight namin to Cebu tapos required kami 10 days of quarantine na nasa loob lang ng hotel. So yung mga ganun. Pero when you go to Europe, doon wala na talagang masks sila,” she explained.</p><div><style rel="stylesheet">.scroll-wrapper {-webkit-overflow-scrolling: touch;}.scroll-wrapper iframe {border: none;}</style></div><div class="scroll-wrapper"><iframe id="MegaControllerIframe-1677806795789" style="width:100%;min-height:480px" src="https://controller.megaphonetv.com/?m=tqu4z&amp;iswebpoll=true&amp;poll_id=active"></iframe></div><script type="text/javascript">!function(){class e{constructor(t,s=null){this.type=null,this.fieldName=t,this.fieldValue=s,this.originMessageID=`${(new Date).getTime()}_${Math.random()}`,this.systemID=e.SYSTEM_ID}toPlainObject(){return JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(this))}}e.GET="GET",e.SET="SET",e.RESPONSE="RESPONSE",e.LOCAL_STORAGE_CHECK="LOCAL_STORAGE_CHECK",e.SYSTEM_ID="MP_FIRST_PARTY_DATA_BRIDGE";class t extends e{constructor(t,s,a=null){super(t,s),this.status=a,this.type=e.RESPONSE}}function s(){try{if("undefined"==typeof localStorage)return!1;try{return localStorage.setItem("testkey","testvalue"),localStorage.removeItem("testkey"),!0}catch(e){return!1}}catch(e){return!1}}if(window&&window.addEventListener){const a=document.getElementById("MegaControllerIframe-1677806795789");new class{constructor(){this.targetOrigin="*",this.bubblingMessages=new Map,this.beginListeningForMessages()}beginListeningForMessages(){window.addEventListener("message",this.messageListener.bind(this),!1)}messageListener(a){if(a.data.systemID!==e.SYSTEM_ID)return;let i=a.data.type,n=a.data.fieldName,r=a.data.fieldValue,g=new t;if(g.originMessageID=a.data.originMessageID,i===e.GET)g.fieldName=n,s()?this.handleGet(n,a.source,g):this.checkForBubble(a.data,a.source,g);else if(i===e.SET)s()?this.handleSet(n,r):this.checkForBubble(a.data,a.source,g);else if(i===e.LOCAL_STORAGE_CHECK)s()?this.handleLocalStorageCheck(a.source,g):this.checkForBubble(a.data,a.source,g);else if(i===e.RESPONSE){const e=this.bubblingMessages.get(a.data.originMessageID);null!=e&&(this.bubblingMessages.delete(a.data.originMessageID),e.source.postMessage(a.data,this.targetOrigin))}}handleGet(e,t,s){s.fieldValue=localStorage.getItem(e),s.status=200,t.postMessage(s.toPlainObject(),this.targetOrigin)}handleSet(e,t){localStorage.setItem(e,t)}handleLocalStorageCheck(e,t){t.status=200,e.postMessage(t.toPlainObject(),this.targetOrigin)}checkForBubble(e,t,s){!function(){try{return window.self!==window.top}catch(e){return!0}}()?(s.status=403,s.fieldValue=null,t.postMessage(s.toPlainObject(),this.targetOrigin)):this.bubbleMessage(e,t)}bubbleMessage(t,s){this.bubblingMessages.set(t.originMessageID,{message:t,source:s}),t.type!==e.GET&&t.type!==e.LOCAL_STORAGE_CHECK||setTimeout(this.handleBubbledMessageTimeout.bind(this),4e3,t,s),window.parent.postMessage(t,this.targetOrigin)}handleBubbledMessageTimeout(t,s){this.bubblingMessages.has(t.originMessageID)&&(this.bubblingMessages.delete(t.originMessageID),t.status=404,t.type=e.RESPONSE,s.postMessage(t,this.targetOrigin))}};window.addEventListener("message",function(e){e.data.hasOwnProperty("height")&&(a.style.height=(parseInt(e.data.height)+1).toString()+"px")},!1)}}();</script>

<p>'Walang KaParis' director Sigrid Bernardo reveals why it took her two years before writing another film to reunite Alessandra de Rossi and Empoy Marquez onscreen.</p>

'Walang KaParis' director Sigrid Bernardo reveals why it took her two years before writing another film to reunite Alessandra de Rossi and Empoy Marquez onscreen.