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Rufa Mae plays Stella Sembrano, a diva-esque lounge singer hoping to make it big abroad. She tells us why this movie made her dream come true.
Rufa Mae Quinto goes back to her singing roots in “I.T.A.L.Y. (I Trust and Love You),” where she plays Stella Sembrano, a diva-esque lounge singer hoping to make it big abroad. She tells us why this movie made her dream come true, and how she reached her happy place at last. Text by Jillian Q. Gatcheco. Photos by Jason S. Lim. European adventures “It’s about love, basically, and friendship. [It’s] about Filipinos [at] iba’t-ibang klaseng tao,” Rufa Mae starts off. “Ang storya nito may kanya-kanyang buhay kami—bawat isang tao may kanya-kanyang problema, may kanya-kanyang hinahanap sa buhay, but of course, ang hinahanap nating lahat ay love. Iba’t-ibang attack pero very light.” Joining Rufa Mae in I.T.A.L.Y. are Dennis Trillo, Mark Herras, Rhian Ramos, Eugene Domingo, and Jolina Magdangal. Rufa Mae imparts that being with Jolina in the movie was one of the reasons she agreed to be in it. “Naniniwala ako sa kanya kasi napakagaling niyang artista,” she explains. “Tapos pangalawa, first time ko to work with GMA Films, na sobrang pangarap ko rin dahil GMA yan, e. I’ve been working with GMA sa TV nang gaano katagal na [rin]. Magmula Ober Da Bakod pa lang, yun ang first kong [show] sa GMA, pero laging telesine, so ngayon lang ako nabigyan ng chance na makagawa [ng film]—at with direk Mark Reyes (Carlo J. Caparas’ Kamandag, Codename: Asero) pa!” She admits that her passion is really doing movies. “Yun talaga kaligayahan ko, e. At the same time, pangarap ko makarating ng Europe! Sabi ko nga, pag nag-asawa ako, doon ako magha-honeymoon!” Although Rufa Mae hasn’t fulfilled her honeymoon dream yet, she says that at least she was able to travel to Europe with loved ones. “Mabait pa rin ang Diyos, in fairness, nakasama ko lahat ng mahal ko sa buhay. Nandiyan si Eugene Domingo—alam naman natin na gumawa kami ng Apat Dapat [noon]. Nagkaroon din kami ng bonding doon, at natutunan ko dahil doon ang friendship. [Itong] movie na ito, about friendship din.” “At saka malalaman natin na ang ganda-ganda ng Europe!” she adds enthusiastically. “I mean, first time kong mag-cruise, at the same time, talagang overwhelming talaga! Parang panaginip yung nangyari.” Rufa Mae shares that she feels very lucky to have been given a chance to be part of such a high-budget movie, and that GMA Films bosses entrusted her with her role. “Biruin mo, nakarating kaming Spain, Italy, Tunisia, Napoli—hindi lang ito isang [parte] sa Europe. Talagang walang katapusang biyahe talaga, tapos cruise pa! Ang saya-saya!” Favorite scenes Rufa spills three scenes that she loved most: her character’s epiphany, her farewell scene with Jolina and Eugene, plus her sequences with Dennis in Tunisia. “Gusto ko siya kasi about friendship,” she says of her scene with Jolina and Eugene. “Pinaka-favorite ko [rin] yung nag-decide na ako na hindi lang material things ang nakapagpapasaya. So hinanap ko yung happiness ko.” “Tapos yung eksena rin namin ni Dennis sa Tunisia. Africa na pala yun? Ang ganda-ganda! Masaya kami doon, so yun yung hindi namin makakalimutan sa movie.” In fact, there are so many great scenes that Rufa Mae says they’ll be including a lot of special features in the DVD release! “Wala kang maitapon na eksena. Magmula sa visuals, sa story, sa script. Taong-tao talaga; totoong buhay.” Back to singing Rufa Mae attests that she’ll be a different person in this movie, and a lot of it has to do with her singing scenes. “I’m a torch diva [here]! Kung napapanood niyo ako na live lang sa concert, kasi hindi [naman] ako nakikitang [madalas kumanta] sa screen or sa TV, maliban sa mga music video, ngayon lang ako gagawa na [mala-diva].” “Kasi hindi po lahat ng tao alam na nakakakanta ako, ewan ko lang kung aware sila, siguro naman, no, kasi marami naman akong naging concert in fairness! Marami namang tumangkilik, so salamat,” she says. She tells us of her first traumatic (yes, traumatic) singing experience. “Actually, ang ‘Ocean Deep’ kasi, [that was my] first song na natutunan [ko] noong ako’y eight years old. Memorable po sa akin yun dahil yung nanay ko, dinala ako sa stage sa Barangay, tapos that was the first time I performed sa harap ng tao na ayoko, pinilit lang ako ng nanay ko.” “So inakyat niya ako sa stage, naka-shorts ako at sandong puti, ang buong barangay nandoon, at saka syempre bata lang ako—hindi pa marunong mag-perform! So [kinanta ko ang] ‘Ocean Deep.’ [Biruin mo], umalis lahat ng tao! Hindi ko alam kung na-bore, pero ang sinabi ng nanay ko sa akin, ‘Anak kasi nagka-sunog!’” Rufa Mae actually had to sing “Ocean Deep” for a scene in I.T.A.L.Y., and she tried to stay true to her own version in Four Sides of Rufa Mae, her debut album under Viva Records. “Para sa akin, serious yung attack ko, pero may sarili akong style. So ang ginawa ko medyo rock nang kaunti—alternative, ‘with angst’ version! Gusto ko talaga, rock and roll!” “Dahil [sa ‘Ocean Deep’], nagkaroon ako ng chance na maka-perform, hindi lang sa pelikula, [kung hindi] pati sa mga concert, at world tour, in fairness! Alam mo yung feeling na I can’t believe it, na parang di ko akalain na natuwa pa ang mismong GMA at sinama sa soundtrack? I mean, malaking pelikula kasi ang I.T.A.L.Y., di ba? Kaya para sa akin, sobrang I love it! I love the feeling, and I appreciate myself! At happy ako. Sana maging happy din sila!” Rufa Mae invites everyone to watch I.T.A.L.Y. this August 2008: “Naku, mga friends, heto na naman ang isang aabangan nating lahat na pelikula! Makikita [niyo] na talagang kahit saang parte ng mundo, ang dami-raming Filipinos! So abangan niyo po ito dahil kakaiba—maganda at talagang masayang-masaya—very, very light! There you have it, I.T.A.L.Y., go watch!” For more about I.T.A.L.Y., click on the links below: World class Gone to Italia Dennis does it again Remembering Europe First in Philippine Cinema seen in I.T.A.L.Y. Talk about the movie in the iGMA Forums!