Cathy Garcia-Sampana: ‘Give DonBelle a chance’
It was Donny Pangilinan and Belle Mariano themselves who asked for a film project that would allow their love team to “grow up” onscreen before going their separate ways for now.
That project eventually became “Tayo Sa Wakas,” their new film with director Cathy Garcia-Sampana and writer Vanessa Valdez, who both said the material was shaped around DonBelle’s desire to move from lighter fare to a more mature relationship story.
“They wanted one. It was their decision,” Cathy made it clear when asked if the ABS-CBN Star Cinema project was pitched to DonBelle or if the tandem had been actively looking for a breakup or similarly-themed project, during an exclusive interview with The STAR.
“It was really meant to be their maturation, graduation from lighter fare to something more serious. So relationship story talaga yung pupuntahan,” Vanessa added.
But this breakup story had an even earlier life before DonBelle. Vanessa confirmed that the material, originally titled “The Breakup Trip,” was first pitched in 2018 to Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil. At that time, their love team was also being prepared for growth and a possible shift, with Liza then set to take on “Darna.”
“Nung time na yun kasi talaga mag re-require talaga ng separation and growth yung love team na yun kasi (Liza) was going to do a different project and it was going to catapult her to a different path,” Vanessa revealed.
However, when the material eventually found its way to DonBelle, the screenwriter said major changes were made to fit Donny and Belle’s own story and their present stage as a love team.
“Ang daming parts talaga nung kwento na binago para mag fit dun sa kwento na gagawin nila talaga,” she said.
Vanessa, who first saw Donny and Belle’s immediate chemistry during their debut series together, “He’s Into Her” in 2021, said she wanted to meet the Donny and Belle of today before writing for them.
“Even before we started shooting, I talked to them separately. I told them I wanna meet you where you are now. I want to get to know this person kasi iba nung nakilala kita nung unang panahon, iba ka na ngayon di ba?” she remembered telling DonBelle.
She asked them how they felt, why they were doing the project and what they related to, so the script could be crafted in a language they could understand and inhabit.
She recalled that both Donny and Belle became emotional after reading the script.
“Nakakatawa, nakakatuwa nga sila pagkabasa talaga nila nung script. Si Belle talaga nag-text to all of us, ‘Umiiyak ako.’ Vinideo pa yata niya yung sarili niya na umiiyak siya. Tawang-tawa naman ako na si Donny rin umiyak, nagpadala rin ng picture,” she said.
“Tayo Sa Wakas” also absorbed an element from another DonBelle project that Cathy was supposed to do and had even researched for in Australia — the idea of lovers becoming rivals.
The director said that aspect excited her because it was something she had not yet explored in her long filmography.
“This is the first time that I’ll be tackling rivalry, competition amongst lovers,” Cathy said of her 29th film to date.
Meanwhile, coming after the commercial success of her previous film, “Meet, Greet & Bye,” Cathy was also asked if she felt pressure that her new DonBelle movie was expected to help prop up the struggling Philippine box office.
The director admitted that every filmmaker wants a movie to earn.
“Of course, sabi ko nga naman lagi, sino ba naman ang ayaw kumita? Gusto nating lahat para makagawa pa tayo ng more projects,” she said.
But Cathy said that her bigger hope is for audiences to see what Donny and Belle can offer at this stage of their careers.
“Bigyan nyo ng chance ang DonBelle. See what they have to offer in this film,” she urged moviegoers.
The director, likewise, stressed that she does not like describing a movie as something the team “worked hard on,” because for her, every filmmaker and actor naturally works hard to make a project beautiful.
“Ako, I never use the word pinaghirapan namin ng pelikulang ’to… I never used that because sino ba naman ang gumawa ng pelikulang hindi naghihirap at hindi pinaganda di ba? So lahat naman,” she said.
Still, Cathy said “Tayo Sa Wakas” feels “extra special” because of how much she saw Donny and Belle wanting to give their best.
“But this one is extra special as the two leads talaga, I saw how they wanted this so bad,” she said.
“Binigay ang pwedeng ibigay. In fact, more than what I ask for or what we ask from them.”
What impressed Cathy was that the two young stars did not approach the film simply as a chance to prove themselves as actors or become more popular. Instead, she saw them focus on serving the story.
“What we wanted together when we developed this movie is not for them to be great actors, not for them to be better actors, to be more popular. No, no, nothing,” she said.
“Ang mas nag-focus talaga yung two bata along with us is to be one in telling this story in the best way possible.”
She recalled reminding Donny and Belle not to think of the movie only as something for themselves, but as something meant for the audience.
“Pareho kami. Sabi ko, anak, wag tayo dun sa para sa inyo. Para sa audience tayo. Ano ang pwede nating maitulong? Anong pwede nating maiparamdam sa kanila that would make life better, easier,” Cathy said.
“Because to me, at the end of the day, cinema, films are forms of entertainment. We produce stories, we produce films to tell stories to you, to the audience, to tell a familiar story for them na maka-relate sila, to feel in love again, wanting to love again,” she added.
“So dun nag-focus yung mga bata and I admire them kasi because practically bata pa talaga ’tong dalawang to, but meron na sila ng ganung kamalayan.”
The announcement of “Tayo Sa Wakas” as DonBelle’s “last for now” film also drew strong reactions from fans, many of whom were saddened by the thought of the actors going on different career paths following their love team journey.
Cathy, however, said she appreciated how the fandom responded with support and acceptance.
“I must commend the fans of DonBelle. They may have been sad, but andun ang support sa two, andun ang pagtanggap,” she said.
The director further said the sadness was understandable, especially for fans who had followed Donny and Belle from the beginning. But what stood out to her was that the reaction didn’t turn into anger.
“Kasi nakakita na tayong iba na medyo napapuntang galit more than sadness. It’s very understandable if you will feel sad as you have followed them through,” Cathy said.
“Pero nakakatuwa rin na pati fans ngayon iba na maturity nila. Mahal nila yung dalawa kahit saan pumunta, kahit maghiwalay.”
That same “last film for now” context was also felt on set, but Cathy said it did not make the mood heavy. It made everyone cherish the experience even more.
“Kasi tsine-cherish mo na yung every moment that you’re together, every scene that they do together,” she said.
“Nakatulong siya kasi pareho silang gustong pagandahin ’to, gustong ikwento ’to ng tama kasi nga ito na yung huli nila (sa ngayon),” she said.
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