LEAVE IT TO Viva Communications Inc. to do co-productions with international film companies. They have now partnered with Indonesian producers Marsio Juwono, MM2, Reflection Pictures and Ideosource Entertainment to do an Indonesian version of the acclaimed Filipino blockbuster of 2017, “Kita-Kita”.
Directed by Sigrid Andrea Bernardo and produced by Spring Films, it was shot on location in wintry Sapporo, Japan. “Kita Kita” starred Alessandra de Rossi and comedian Empoy Marquez in an unconventional romantic comedy between a blind girl, Lea, and the good-natured guy, Tonyo, who helped her see what is really beautiful in life. It raked in more than P350 million during its release.
Viva has now brought the endearing love story to Indonesia where it is now expected to also be a big box office success and eventually open new doors for Filipino movie remakes in other countries. This is the first time that a local film is picked up for production by a foreign producer and director. Viva is present at the negotiations and hopes that “Kita Kita” and other Viva movies will also have remakes in other countries.
The title of the Indonesian remake is “Cinta Itu Buta” or “Love is Blind”, directed by Rachmania Arunita. This time, it was filmed on location in Busan, South Korea. Playing the leads are two of Indonesia’s popular actors, the lovely Shandi Aulia as the blind girl renamed Diah and zany comedian Dodit Mulyanto as her kind and caring neighbor renamed as Nik.
This will open in Indonesian theatres on Thursday, October 10 and will also be shown later in other Asian countries like Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines.
Sigrid Andrea Bernardo, the director of the original “Kita-Kita”, is pleased with the trailer of “Cinta Itu Buta”. “I got teary eyed while watching the trailer. Congratulations to team Kita Kita and to team Cinta Itu Buta. Can’t wait to watch the full movie!” she says.
You can watch the full trailer of the Indonesian movie on youtube and see the difference between their chosen locations of Sapporo and Busan.
