This year, it seems that her goal is to win an international acting award. She tried that before in the 2014 Cinemalaya entry, “Ronda”, where she played a policewoman having problems with her personal life. She herself produced it but it failed to impress no one and she didn’t win any trophy.
This time, she has agreed to work with Director Louie Lagdameo Ignacio who has won two best actress awards from international film festivals for Aiko Melendez in his movie “Asintado” and whose “Child Haus” just won best children film at the recently concluded Dhaka International Filmfest.
The movie’s supervising producer is Dennis Evangelista, who produced “Magkakabaung” that gave Allen Dizon so many local and international best actor awards. The movies she will do with Louie, Dennis and BG Productions is a serious drama with touches of comedy, titled “Area (Higanna Magkano)”. It’s about a place in Pampanga known as Area where men in heat can let their steam off with cheap prostitutes then pay them in kind, with items like used appliances.
Ai Ai will play a laundry woman who moonlights as a prosti at night and the story will revolve on her. Higanna Magkano is the screen name of a sexpot who was introduced in the bomba films of the 70s and 80s and it’s now being used in “Area”. The script is written by Robbie Tantingco, who just won the Metro-Manila Filmfest New Wave best screenplay award for “Ari, My Life with A King”, which was also named best picture.
Supporting Ai Ai in the movie is Allen Dizon who will play the role of the sex den owner where Ai Ai works. Allen has a very shady job and to atone for his sins, every Holy Week, he joins the annual penitencia then gets himself nailed on the cross. Here’s hoping this movie will finally give to Ai Ai the international honors she’s hoping to achieve.
