Film director Antoinette Jadaone revealed that Bea Alonzo and John Lloyd Cruz‘s “kilig-inducing” exchange on Instagram was her way of exploring new ways to tell stories amid the enhanced community quarantine.
The director, known for her films on romance, said that the actors’ exchange is part of the initiative called “The Unconfined Cinema” where stories that are traditionally shown on movie theaters will be shown on other platforms like social media while onsite production is halted or suspended.
“The Unconfined Cinema was founded on the idea of exploring what else cinema could be, freeing our stories to be told outside of the traditional spaces and conceptual boundaries set by the last century of the medium,” Jadaone explained on her social media accounts.
“In this unprecedented time of quarantine, in a time when movie production is impossible, we found it especially pressing to find ways to tell our stories,” she continued.
The Unconfined Cinema was founded on the idea of exploring what else cinema could be, freeing our stories to be told…
Posted by Antoinette Jadaone on Wednesday, April 29, 2020
Jadaone added that she chose Instagram to tell the story of the project’s first initiative, “Love Team,” since the photo-and-video-sharing platform “has become more relevant and utilized in this time of quarantine.”
“The use of social media creates all sorts of new possibilities for storytelling. This was a story told over two weeks, adapting and evolving to real-life events, integrating our genuine sentiments over the state that we’re in,” she said.
The director acknowledged how Instagram is a platform where people “share little bits” of themselves, including feelings and emotions.
“Through our images, this curated list of memories, we reveal what it is we want the rest of the world to see. Using the various features of Instagram, we attempted to tell a story of two people reconnecting in a trying time; separated by distance, but united in their memories,” Jadaone continued.
Last Monday, actors Cruz and Alonzo went live on Instagram and had a conversation with each other where the former was even dubbed by fans and supporters as “woke” or being socially aware of the situation because of his insights.
While the conversation is scripted, the disclaimer that the actors left in their respective Instagram accounts weeks ago noted that the “resemblance to persons, living or dead, is intentional.”
Jadaone said that the phrase “remains true” in their project.
“We are in a culture where the usually distinct line between reality and make-believe blur,” part of her post reads.
The director also invited other filmmakers and artists to join the initiative in “exploring the possibilities” of the local film industry. She added that the platform is not limited to Instagram, “but on every stage imaginable.”
Suspension of onsite production
Movie and television production has been suspended since March 15 after the government declared an initial community quarantine over Metro Manila, where most studios are located, due to the rising cases of the novel coronavirus.
Different studious called off shootings that are supposed to be scheduled until further notice following the implementation of quarantine measures.
The Film Development Council of the Philippines issued a public advisory for the television and movie industry to discontinue its production shoots or tapings since it constitutes “mass gatherings that are highly susceptible to transmission of the virus.”
Mass gatherings, under the now-implemented enhanced community quarantine set to last in the metro until May 15, are strictly prohibited.
On Thursday, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said that mass gatherings are “prohibited except religious activities and work related activities.” However, it applies to areas under the general community quarantine.
The Department of Health earlier advised the public to practice social distancing that “refers to maintaining a distance at least one meter away from another person to reduce contact and limit the possible spread of the virus.”
Among the studios that halted its onsite production activities are Regal Entertainment, ABS-CBN Films (including Star Cinema, Black Sheep, Cinebro and Cinema One Originals), Reality Entertainment and Viva Communications Inc.
Television networks ABS-CBN and GMA Network also suspended the production of its live shows and program series in adherence to the advisory against mass gathering and social distancing measures.
Once the metro shifts under the general community quarantine, however, movie and television production will resume, as well as sound recording and music publishing.
