"We left Manila on Wednesday, July 8, and we arrived there the next day, Thursday, ng 4 PM," she says. "Nag-check in lang kami sa hotel then rushed to the venue for our movie's first screening at 6 PM. Natapos ang movie, 8 PM, there was a Q&A. Then we had late dinner sa hotel at natulog na ako agad kasi antok na antok na talaga ako. The next day, we had another screening at 10 AM, then Q&A uli, tapos, we rushed to take the bus to Prague, the capital, para makapamasyal. It's two hours away. When we got there 7 PM na, pero buti na lang, summer sa kanila, kaya maliwanag pa. So nakapagligid-ligid naman kami ng konti then back to the hotel uli and the next day, Saturday, pabalik na ko sa Pilipinas. I got here last Sunday."
So how's her experience in attending the filmfest? "Sobrang nakakatuwa ang experience ko kasi going there, tinatakot nila ako. Doon daw, importante ang first five minutes ng movie. If they don't like it, tayuan na agad at kung minsan wala na halos natitira sa audience. So kinakabahan ako. But in both our screenings, the audience really stayed and finished the movie. Tapos, so Q&A, sobrang interesado sila. Natuwa sila sa'kin. May mga nagpa-autograph pa. Yung isa sa mismong braso niya nagpapirma sa'kin. I was so happy na hindi sila nagtanong about the sexy scenes na ginawa ko with my leading men, Luis Alandy and Anthony Falcon. Instead, they asked about the process I took as an actress in interpreting my character as a rebel who's married to another rebel but had an affair with a soldier."
The film was not in competition but for exhibition only. "First movie kong nasali sa international filmfest kaya I'm so happy na meron pa kaming sasalihang film festivals abroad in September and December, na in competition na kami. Sabi ni Direk Jun Lana, isasama raw nila uli ako, so I'm looking forward to that."
Right now, she's shooting the Regal Entertainment entry in the coming Metro-Manila Filmfest, "Haunted Manzion", and she's wrapping up work for her afternoon soap, "Yagit", where she plays Flora. "Malungkot kami sa 'Yagit' kasi last week na namin this coming week," she sighs. "Bale one year kaming magkakasama rito ng buong cast as we started taping this in July last year pa and it started airing in October. So ten months din kaming tumakbo kaya we will surely all miss each other. Huwag kayong bibitaw sa last few episodes dahil napakaraming exciting na mangyayari."
Will her character die? "Hindi, ako ang papatay kay Yasmien Kurdi," she says laughing as Yasmien is seated beside her as we interview her. "Joke lang. Basta abangan nyo, hindi kayo magsisisi."
Is it true she and Paolo Contis are now playing beautiful music together? Paolo, who's separated from wife Lian Paz, is no longer in "Yagit" as he's been transferred to "The Rich Man's Daughter" as Glaiza de Castro's husband, but we're told he's still always visiting the set of "Yagit" because of LJ. So, will it be a case of from one Paulo (Avelino) to another Paolo for her? "Naku, ako bang dinadalaw niya roon? Ewan ko, hindi ko alam. Siyang tanungin nyo."
