How Eric convinced Kim to do kissing scenes not once but thrice

At 28, Kim Chiu said in an interview with The STAR that it’s high time she grew up, away from teeny-bopper roles. She did just that in One Great Love, Regal Entertainment’s entry in the 2018 Metro Manila Film festival (MMFF), in which she agrees to kiss her leading men Dennis Trillo and JC de Vera not once, not twice but thrice…in the bedroom, in the bathtub and in the jacuzzi.

“I trust our director, Eric Quizon,” said Kim. “He did the scenes in good taste.”

In the movie, Kim plays Zyra Paez, a woman fortunate enough to know and be with her one great love. But in real life, even if she had admitted going steady with Xian Lim, Kim didn’t say if he’s her “one great love” which she differentiated from “one true love.”

Direk Eric (who also plays Kim’s father) talked about it in a one-on-one with Funfare.

So how did you convince Kim to do those kissing scenes?

“It did not take a lot of convincing for Kim to do the jacuzzi scene. We were at the right place and at the right time. I wanted to capture that ‘magic hour,’ as cinematographers would refer to dusk or dawn, to have so-called magical visual in the movie. Kim and JC were able to visualize the scene in their minds so they readily agreed…sa ikagaganda ng pelikula.”

How would you assess the work of the three actors?

“I am blessed to have actors who are ‘in love’ with their craft. It was wonderful to work with all of them because apart from being brilliant, professional and creative, they are dedicated individuals who know what they want.”

Was it easy for you to relate to the movie’s theme?

“The theme of the movie is love. Love is something universal that anybody can relate to.”

How much of your personal experience did you draw from when directing a movie?

“Most of the time I try to direct movies on a personal level. I may not have been in a similar situation as what happened to the main characters but I share their emotions. I try to draw from my actors specific emotions which somehow most people have gone through like pain, angst, longing and sorrow together with joy, elation and genuine love. Through their various common emotions, we were able to achieve a very relatable movie experience.”

What, rather who, would you consider your great love?

Direk Eric Quizon (in black) with Dennis, Kim and Regal Matriarch Lily Monteverde during a break in the shoot.

“As I have previously mentioned, all my ‘loves’ from before are considered great loves. Why? Because they were all part of my evolution as a human being and as what I am today. My greatest love at the moment is my relationship with God because He guides me to be a better person.”

How many times have you joined the MMFF?

“Sobrang dami na as an actor, in some of my most memorable movies. Sobrang suwerte ako sa MMFF. Among my movies were those with my Dad like Markova; Juan Tamad; Mano Po 1; Shake, Rattle & Roll; Happy Together; and Crying Ladies. I won Best Actor for Juan Tamad and Crying Ladies. As director, it is my first time to have an entry, that’s why I am so thankful and at the same time excited to be part of the festival. I tried before with Sumigaw Ka, a Viva Films production, but I was not fortunate enough because at that time there was another horror entry. Siempre, Shake, Rattle & Roll ‘yon, kaya ang hirap tapatan.”

Three reasons why we should watch One Great Love?

“There is only one great reason. It is a ‘great’ movie.”

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