Lessons On Chemistry With ‘Billie & Emma’

MANILA, Philippines — Some people have undeniable chemistry — not necessarily romantic in nature, but not simply platonic either. As we sit with the stars of Samantha Lee’s Billie & Emma, Gabby Padilla and Zar Donato, there is a charge of palpable, excited and quite pure energy that comes through. Both actors discuss their personal similarities to their characters, with Padilla relating to Emma’s control freak ways, and Donato understanding Billie’s cool façade secured on top of a sea of tumultuous emotions. “Our real-life dynamic is similar, like Zar says something super cheesy, and I’m cringing before she’s even done saying it,” says Padilla as they both laugh.

The film is Lee’s entry to the QCinema International Film Festival. It’s set in the early ’90s, which explains the film’s teaser copying the infamous “Dear Carlo” hotdog ad. Padilla plays Emma, a Type A honor roll student from a single parent home determined to make her way out of her provincial town. Newcomer Donato is Billie, openly gay and rambunctious, who’s been sentenced to life under her religious provincial aunt’s rule as a last-ditch attempt to reform her ways. The two young women cross paths on during the last year of high school, forming a friendship that blossoms into love, but not without complications.

Keeping It Real

Donato, who herself is out and proud, is thrilled about the film for many reasons. She’s a recent film graduate from the College of St. Benilde, and has worked in production, but always wanted to pursue acting. This is her first official acting job, and one that she didn’t tell her family about until the teaser came out. (To which her mother supposedly said, “Ha! Akala ko ba crew ka!”) An equal high point is filming a script that, to her, tells a truthful story of the queer experience. “When I first read the script, I thought, ‘Finally, someone is telling my story.’ These are things that actually happen in high school. These are things that people deal with, and may panliligaw na ganito talaga yung nangyayari.”

But what excites Donato the most is the fact that she is a queer person portraying a queer character. She said that she came to learn about the casting for Billie & Emma because of a tweet Lee sent out, calling for gay actors to be part of her new film. “Whenever I watched a movie with a gay character, I’d Google the actors who played them and see whether or not they were actually gay. Because a lot of straight actors get praise for playing gay roles well, but to me it feels a little bit like discrimination. For me, it’s not that hard to be gay; it’s harder to play the part as something that’s more than just gay.”

Padilla, on the other hand, identifies as straight, and talks about having worried about her part in the film. She says she’s fully aware that someone queer could have played Emma, and that there will most likely be opinions on someone of her orientation being cast. “But I understand why Direk Sam wasn’t as strict about orientation when it came to Emma, because her story isn’t about being gay or straight. Emma’s journey is more about being a young woman in the early ’90s, basically raising herself and wanting more for herself but having to deal with obstacles that weren’t in her original plans.” She adds, “The great thing about this story is that yes, they do fall in love, but it’s not just a love story. Their personal and individual journeys are a big part of the story.”

On Responsibility

The two have a rare understanding of how their personal relationship off-screen might be perceived, and the amount of responsibility some might want this film to assume. “It’s a very light film but it’s heavy on the attack when it comes to important issues like sexuality, feminism, and women having autonomy over their bodies,” explains Donato. Padilla chimes in, “Even for myself, because these characters are dealing with so much at such a young age, I also have a better understanding of my own privilege. Figuring out who you are without having to figure out what it means to be queer is hard enough, and I have a greater appreciation for those who are able to be themselves.”

Donato adds with a smile: “If there’s anything this film tells you, it’s that it’s okay to be yourself. Loving someone, whether it’s someone of the same gender or the opposite sex, it’s all the same. Some people are gay, some people aren’t, but falling in love is all the same.”

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Billie & Emma opens Oct. 22 in select cinemas. For more information, follow @billieandemmafilm on Instagram.

Photos by JOSEPH PASCUAL
Makeup by NICOLE CEBALLOS
Hair by FRANCIS GUINTU
Fashion by SASSA JIMENEZ and WONDERBOY by SASSA JIMENEZ