Much like their characters in Gaya Sa Pelikula, Ian Pangilinan and Paolo Pangilinan dive deep into their love for the movies and how it helps foster connections
While we may not think much of it, a lot can be revealed about a person when asked: What’s your favorite movie? Easier for some than most, this question often draws a blank with so many choices flooding one’s consciousness. Couple that with an innate desire to impress with film preference, it can prove to be an existential crisis, especially when one is really into movies. For example, I can never come up with just one or I have to qualify the question with parameters. But whatever title tumbles off your lips at that given moment, it speaks volumes of who you are, perhaps even more than zodiac signs. (This also works the same for the revelations that are music playlists.)
Central to the story of Gaya Sa Pelikula, movies were not only a common denominator between Vlad and Karl, but it would also help propel the characters to get to really know each other over the course of series. “Films are great avenues to start a conversation. Through this medium, we establish a bond with spectators who are able to enjoy these similar experiences,” says Paolo Pangilinan of this acknowledgment of existence. “Movies are a reflection of the world—what it was, what it ought to be, and what it isn’t.”
Meanwhile for Ian Pangilinan, “movies tend to portray real life situations using artistic parallels.” Here, he contextualizes the immersive experience of a movie and how it inadvertently becomes a space for us to realize more about our true selves in this sacred moment where we let down our walls.
Movie Moment With Ian And Paolo
“You know how everyone cried at (spoiler alert) Bing Bong disappearing during that scene in Inside Out? It’s because in real life, so many of us have had parallels of loss and sacrifice. I enjoy seeing those parallels because I think that it makes people feel seen and understood in their own struggles. It’s as if other people somewhere out there understand,” details Ian. “The realization that there are people who understand allows you to have more reason to believe that there’s someone worth letting down your walls to. Sometimes, this manifests in something like discussing the parallels in your life under the guise of the movie.”
Recalling the time he watched the animated flick, Ian Pangilinan details, “When Bing Bong said: ‘Take her to the moon for me,’ I bawled my eyes out. He was willing to sacrifice himself just for Riley.”
“How many people have we come to realize want to take us to the moon even if it meant having to sacrifice so much? Parents, friends, etc. It becomes even heavier when you think maybe for some, it’s parents who have passed on and had to tell someone else to take you to the moon for them. [With a] movie, it feels easier to discuss and think about,” he says.
So, in the spirit of connections and films, we asked Ian Pangilinan and Paolo Pangilinan to list down movie choices for different situations to forge and foster a bond. Now, if you’re looking to peer deeper into the souls of the Gaya Sa Pelikula boys, or if you want to watch something fresh for your weekend movie night, then you came to the right place.
Connect With Paolo Through His Must-Watch Movie List
Yourself: Paris is Burning
Special someone: Kimi no nawa
Family: Four Sisters and a Wedding
Viper In The Fist
Friends: Fried Green Tomatoes
Passion: Hidden Figures
Connect With Ian Through Must-Watch Movie List
Yourself: Lady Bird
Special someone: Before Sunrise / Before Sunset / Before Midnight
Family: Four Sisters and a Wedding
Friends: Stand By Me
Passion: Soul
Related: PRESS PLAY: IAN PANGILINAN AND PAOLO PANGILINAN WILL MAKE YOU KEEP ON WATCHING
