Arzen Rose Dulzura

Maris Racal hopes people would be compassionate after they watch ‘Sunshine’

Article (news)

Clarence Roi Gillego

Push Team

<p>Kapamilya actress Maris Racal hopes to spark crucial conversations and inspire people to be more compassionate through her upcoming film <em>Sunshine</em>. </p><p>As the movie’s local premiere draws near, Maris spoke about the impact she wishes the film would have on its audience during her recent guest appearance in the podcast of content creator Yani Villarosa, popularly known as Yani Hatesu.  </p><div><iframe width="1265" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/R2GbL6kQk-w" title="tagum spötted: MARIS RACAL!" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><p>“Sobrang powerful ng mga movies. May mga movies na magbabago ng mundo mo, magbabago ng outlook mo sa [buhay]. So, I’m wishing na ‘pag napanood ‘to ng tao, na magkaroon sila ng compassion sa mga kagaya ni Sunshine,” she said. </p><p>According to<em> IMDb</em>, the movie revolves around the story of “a  young gymnast who discovers she is pregnant on the week of the national team tryouts. On her way to a seller of illegal abortion drugs, she meets a mysterious girl who eerily talks and thinks like her.&quot; <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DLPToMEzkHJ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA=="></a></p><div><iframe class="instagram-media" id="instagram-embed-14" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DLPToMEzkHJ/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=768&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A14%2C%22os%22%3A21403923.799999952%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="0" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-14" 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;min-width:326px;padding:0px;position:absolute"></iframe></div><blockquote class=" instagram-media-registered" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DLPToMEzkHJ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" id="instagram-media-payload-14" style="background:#FFF;border:0;border-radius:3px;box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);margin:1px;max-width:540px;min-width:326px;padding:0;width:calc(100% - 2px)"><div style="padding:16px"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DLPToMEzkHJ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="background:#FFFFFF;line-height:0;padding:0 0;text-align:center;text-decoration:none;width:100%" target="_blank"><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;align-items:center"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:40px;margin-right:14px;width:40px"><br/></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:100px"><br/></div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:60px"><br/></div></div></div><div style="padding:19% 0"><br/></div><div style="display:block;height:50px;margin:0 auto 12px;width:50px"><br/></div><div style="padding-top:8px"><div style="color:#3897f0;line-height:18px">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding:12.5% 0"><br/></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;margin-bottom:14px;align-items:center"><div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(0px) translateY(7px)"><br/></div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;height:12.5px;transform:rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px);width:12.5px;flex-grow:0;margin-right:14px;margin-left:2px"><br/></div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(9px) translateY(-18px)"><br/></div></div><div style="margin-left:8px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:20px;width:20px"><br/></div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:2px solid transparent;border-left:6px solid #f4f4f4;border-bottom:2px solid transparent;transform:translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"><br/></div></div><div style="margin-left:auto"><div style="width:0px;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-right:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(16px)"><br/></div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;flex-grow:0;height:12px;width:16px;transform:translateY(-4px)"><br/></div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-left:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(-4px) translateX(8px)"><br/></div></div></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center;margin-bottom:24px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:224px"><br/></div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:144px"><br/></div></div></a><div style="color:#c9c8cd;line-height:17px;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:8px;overflow:hidden;padding:8px 0 7px;text-align:center;text-overflow:ellipsis;white-space:nowrap"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DLPToMEzkHJ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="color:#c9c8cd;line-height:17px;text-decoration:none" target="_blank">A post shared by PROJECT 8 (@project8projects)</a></div></div></blockquote><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><p>Maris, who interviewed women with first-hand experiences as part of her preparation for role, emphasized how important it is to treat them with compassion. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/movies-series/2025/7/16/why-maris-racal-was-given-the-role-in-sunshine-according-to-the-director-1250"><strong><u>READ: Why Maris Racal was given the role in &#x27;Sunshine&#x27; according to the director</u></strong></a></div><p>“Hindi naman black and white ‘yung mundo,” she said. “May mga gray areas na parang hindi mo masasabing tama, hindi mo masasabing mali. It’s just that kailangan mo lang magkaroon ng compassion sa tao, and not immediately condemn these women. Kasi [dito sa movie], mapapakita talaga ‘yung  struggle, inner chaos, and parang ‘yung psyche ng batang babaeng pinagdadaanan ‘yun.” <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DLZpvE-zpZ1/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA=="></a></p><div><iframe class="instagram-media" id="instagram-embed-12" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DLZpvE-zpZ1/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=768&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A12%2C%22os%22%3A21369136.900000095%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="0" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-12" 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;min-width:326px;padding:0px;position:absolute"></iframe></div><blockquote class=" instagram-media-registered" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DLZpvE-zpZ1/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" id="instagram-media-payload-12" style="background:#FFF;border:0;border-radius:3px;box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);margin:1px;max-width:540px;min-width:326px;padding:0;width:calc(100% - 2px)"><div style="padding:16px"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DLZpvE-zpZ1/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="background:#FFFFFF;line-height:0;padding:0 0;text-align:center;text-decoration:none;width:100%" target="_blank"><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;align-items:center"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:40px;margin-right:14px;width:40px"><br/></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:100px"><br/></div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:60px"><br/></div></div></div><div style="padding:19% 0"><br/></div><div style="display:block;height:50px;margin:0 auto 12px;width:50px"><br/></div><div style="padding-top:8px"><div style="color:#3897f0;line-height:18px">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding:12.5% 0"><br/></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;margin-bottom:14px;align-items:center"><div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(0px) translateY(7px)"><br/></div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;height:12.5px;transform:rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px);width:12.5px;flex-grow:0;margin-right:14px;margin-left:2px"><br/></div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(9px) translateY(-18px)"><br/></div></div><div style="margin-left:8px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:20px;width:20px"><br/></div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:2px solid transparent;border-left:6px solid #f4f4f4;border-bottom:2px solid transparent;transform:translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"><br/></div></div><div style="margin-left:auto"><div style="width:0px;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-right:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(16px)"><br/></div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;flex-grow:0;height:12px;width:16px;transform:translateY(-4px)"><br/></div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-left:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(-4px) translateX(8px)"><br/></div></div></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center;margin-bottom:24px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:224px"><br/></div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:144px"><br/></div></div></a><div style="color:#c9c8cd;line-height:17px;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:8px;overflow:hidden;padding:8px 0 7px;text-align:center;text-overflow:ellipsis;white-space:nowrap"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DLZpvE-zpZ1/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="color:#c9c8cd;line-height:17px;text-decoration:none" target="_blank">A post shared by Maris Racal (@mariesteller)</a></div></div></blockquote><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><p>The 27-year-old actress also hopes the movie, which explores sensitive topics like teenage pregnancy, abortion and women’s reproductive health, will encourage people to be open in discussing these matters.  </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/movies-series/2025/6/28/maris-racal-holds-sunshine-advance-screening-with-friends-and-colleagues-ahead-of-ph-release-2328"><strong><u>READ: Maris Racal holds ‘Sunshine’ advance screening with friends and colleagues ahead of PH release</u></strong></a></div><p>“Ang sa akin lang naman, ang goal lang naman ng movie na to is to start a conversation na hindi siya mawawala, na hindi siya last option na i-tackle ng mga tao or like people na may power to make laws,” she said.  </p><p>“Kailangang may ongoing conversations about it. Hindi ko naman sinasabing ito yung way, but one of the baby steps na we have to do,” she added. </p><p>Written and directed by Antoinette Jadaone, <em>Sunshine</em> is set to premiere on July 23 exclusively in SM Cinemas nationwide. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/movies-series/2025/7/2/maris-racal-s-sunshine-wins-2-awards-at-austin-film-fest-1153"><strong><u>READ: Maris Racal&#x27;s &#x27;Sunshine&#x27; wins 2 awards at Austin film fest</u></strong></a></div><p>This July, the movie bagged two major awards at the 2025 Austin Asian American Film Festival in Texas, the Narrative Feature Jury Award and the Narrative Feature Audience Award   </p><p>Last February, it won the Crystal Bear for Best Film at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival.</p>

<p>Maris Racal wishes her upcoming film Sunshine can teach people the value of compassion as it tackles issues that often go unnoticed. </p>

Maris Racal wishes her upcoming film Sunshine can teach people the value of compassion as it tackles issues that often go unnoticed.