‘The Seniors’: Mean girls surviving in a meaner world

CEBU, Philippines —  Young filmmaker Shaira Advincula-Antonio grew up watching teen shows that were often Manila-centric. As a province-bred girl, she couldn’t fully identify with the characters.

So when the opportunity to helm a youth oriented series for Vivamax came, she and the producers thought it was about time they saw their own experiences played out on screen.

As Advincula describes it, “The Seniors” is a coming-of-age story of the four meanest girls in a rural high school struggling to survive in a meaner world. The youth drama comedy stars Julia Barretto, Ella Cruz, Awra Briguela, and former Pop Girls member Andrea Babierra.

“We see that a public high school is like a microcosm of the entire country: kulang kulang yung gamit, hindi sapat yung pasahod sa teachers, sira sira ang facilities, mabagal ang processing, there’s twisted values,” said Advincula about her first series in a virtual press conference.

“It’s raw and real and something we’ve heard stories about. We talk about teenage pregnancy, how to deal with complicated relationships with adults, and sexuality.”

Advincula, a protégé of filmmaking couple and “The Seniors” producers Antoinette Jadaone and Dan Villegas, is an award-winning Mindanaon short filmmaker whose recent work “Tembong” has already traveled to international short film festivals including the Guanajuato International Film Festival in Latin America, International Inter-University Short Film Festival in Bangladesh, and Short Cut Film Festival in Serbia.

In the Philippines, “Tembong” won the Best Short Film Award in the 2019 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival and Gawad Urian Awards.

“The concept was ‘Mean Girls’ pero canal,” adds Jadaone off the crass nature of the lead characters. “Instead of a new student going to Manila, why don’t we reverse it? Para ang bida naman mga high school students in the province.”

“Hindi ako Gen Z so I felt like a filmmaker who was younger could direct it better. At a young age Gawad Urian na agad siya and I think working with us in different films prepared her for this series,” the box office filmmaker explained on why they chose to pass on the directing duties to their former intern, who later worked for them in various capacities including as production assistant and script consultant.

Streaming on Vivamax, and produced by VIVA TV and PROJECT 8 Projects, “The Seniors” features Julia, Ella, Andrea, Awra as the stars of Pacaque Rural High School who face life and love problems in their final year in high school.

In Pacaque, “The Certifieds” is the well-known it-trio composed of Jennifer (Ella), the overachiever Student Council President who leads the clique, along with the school’s muse Nicole (Andrea) and the school Volleyball Team Captain Fifi (Awra).

Being consistent in the star section, the three of them believe that they are elite students and that they should stick together no matter what. But as they face their senior year, major changes are about to happen.

One of these changes is the arrival of Diana (Julia), a smart and pretty transferee from Manila. With Diana’s arrival, the four students’ final year in high school will be twice the fun and also twice the trouble as they struggle to juggle good grades, friendships and relationships.

Ella describes her role as the queen bee and perfect president whose senior year crossroad will be facing the disappointment of being let down by that one person she looks up to the most.

“She’s the class president which is her dream because her mom used to be a teacher so she wants to be a good example to her fellow students,” shared Ella. “Kailangan siya ang masunod among her two friends – until their friendship is challenged with Diana’s arrival. Wiewers will see how The Certifieds will struggle dahil magkakahiwalay at magkakagulo sila dahil sa pagdating ni Diana.”

Asked about her most memorable senior year moment, Julia said that because she was in a home school program that time, it would have to be finally nabbing that high school diploma.

“When I entered the industry I remember my mom just asking me for one thing, which is to please finish high school,” said Julia. “I think the day I graduated was my most memorable moment because I fulfilled my mom’s wish.”