The Nora Aunor-Vilma Santos rivalry has been an enduring tale that spans generations, transcending the era of movie magazines, and even flourishing in the age of social media. Fans of these iconic movie idols and cinema legends continue to engage in debates on various digital platforms.
During the press conference of “When I Met You in Tokyo” held at Seda Hotel last month, Vilma Santos, affectionately known as Ate Vi, quelled the flames of this age-old rivalry. The lingering question pertained to why National Artist Nora Aunor’s movies intended for the 2023 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) failed to secure a spot among the chosen ten, where “When I Met You in Tokyo” happens to be one of the entries. Notably, “When I Met You in Tokyo” marks the big screen reunion of Vilma with her favorite leading man, Christopher de Leon, also known as Yetbo or Boyet, who, incidentally, was once married to Nora.
“Intriga lang ‘yan. The rivalry that we have with Nora Aunor, my kumare, non-stop na ‘yan. And I think nagbebenepisyo kaming dalawa dyan. I mean 60 years in the business and yet nandito pa rin kaming dalawa. And for that, we should be thankful already,” said Ate Vi.
“Now tungkol dun sa nakapagsok at hindi, hindi naman namin alam kung sino ang nagdedesisyon. Siguro nasabi lang na Metro Manila film but definitely the movies that she did ipapalabas din ‘yun,” she added.
Boyet chimed in, affirming the tension of not knowing whether their film would make the cut: “There were 30 films vying for four slots, which eventually became six. Totoo nyan, we were so nervous that we might not be picked as one of the entries.”
For Vi, Boyet, the entire cast and crew, as well as line producer Redgie Magno and JG Productions’ Rowena Jamaji, the anticipation was intense. The hopes and prayers were that their movie, with 95% of it filmed in Japan, would resonate with the MMFF judges.
At the heart of “When I Met You in Tokyo” is the Filipino viewers. A touching romance-drama centered around OFWs in Japan, the film offers a poignant glimpse into their lives and sacrifices, as well as the lives of those they leave behind.
“Maganda ‘to,” said Ate Vi, “’Yung ‘When I Met You in Tokyo’ noong ginawa ito, pinag-isipan din namin ni Boyet at ng team na gumawa tayo ng very simple pero beautiful love story na magugustuhan ng manonood na hindi mahihirapan ang dibdib, hindi madramang-madrama sa panahon. It’s a very simple and beautiful love story lalo na para sa may mga edad na magreretire na.
“Love has no boundaries here. Maski bata ka o middle-aged o senior citizen, you can still fall in love,” she added.
The film promises to leave audiences with feelings of love, warmth, and valuable life lessons.
“‘Yun ang una naming pinag-usapan. Na sa hirap ng panahon ngayon, ang hirap manood ng masyadong mabigat. May previous kaming movie ni YetBo na aminin natin mabigat talaga sabi nga ninyo mga pang award. It’s not pang award, it’s for the people to fall in love with the movie. ‘Yun ang gusto at tinarget namin. That people fall in love with the movie so that people will enjoy watching,” Ate Vi emphasized.
“When I Met You In Tokyo” also features Gabby Eigenmann, Lyn Cruz, Cassy Legaspi, Darren, Kakai Bautista, Jacky Woo and Tirso Cruz III. The film is produced by JG Productions, with Ma. Rowena Jamaji and Rajan Gidwani as key figures, and line produced by Redgie Magno. It is directed by Rado Peru and Rommel Penesa, with Boyet de Leon. The script is penned by Suzette Doctolero.
“When I Met You in Tokyo” will open in theaters nationwide release starting December 25.