MAX EIGENMANN is busy with a new movie and a new TV show.
She’s Paolo Gumabao’s leading lady named Luz in Joel Lamangan’s daring drama, “Lockdown”, and she’s also in a GMA mini-series, “Never Say Goodbye”, with Jak Roberto and Klea Pineda, shot on lock in taping in Pampanga.
Max is the daughter of the late Mark Gil and character actress Bing Pimentel. Sid Lucero is her full brother while her half siblings include Gabby and Andi Eigenmann.
She has won the Cine Filipino best supporting actress award for her role as a lesbian in “Ned’s Project” in 2016 and the international Asian Pacific Screen Awards best actress plum in 2019 for her performance as a battered wife in “Verdict”.
So how is it working with Paolo Gumabao in “Lockdown”?
“We were able to connect right away kasi pareho kaming aktor ang ama and I enjoyed working with him as he’s very passionate with his craft,” she says.
“Laging mataas ang energy niya sa mga eksena namin kaya nakakahawa ang enthusiasm niya to do his work well. Our first scene was a love scene and he said first love scene niya yun sa pelikula.
"Nagpa-swab test kami pareho to make sure negative kami before we start kissing each other. Sa story, two months kaming hindi nagkita as he worked in the Middle East but na-lay off siya sa trabaho because of the pandemic and he was sent back home.
"So, ako agad ang una niyang pinuntahan at ayun, pareho naming na-miss ang isa’t isa kaya sabik kami at may nangyari agad.”
So how was it?
“Mahaba yung scene. But one take lang siya kasi Direk Joel Lamangan told us to give it our all para hindi na ulitin, and we did. May balak na kaming pakasal dito, but hindi natuloy dahil nga sa pandemic.
"Witness ako rito sa journey ni Paolo as an OFW na nagdanas ng grabeng hirap.
"Very tragic yung character ni Paolo rito as Danny dahil naaksidente ang father niya at kapit siya sa patalim dahil sa hospital bills so he consented to be cyber sex worker.”
In real life, how is she affected by the covid crisis?
“It’s very hard at first, but I did yoga to calm my anxieties. It also gave me time to reflect and spend more time with my family.
"Mas na-aapreciate ko ang mga simpleng bagay sa buhay like having meals with your family, which for me, is really the most important thing in my life,
"specially now that we’re living in very troubled times where the family serves as an anchor to inspire us to go on fighting to survive.”
“Lockdown” is a harrowing slice of life about our poor brothers so adversely affected by the global health crisis now going on. Produced by Jojo Barron’s For the Love of Art Films, it will start streaming on ktx.ph, upstream.ph and RAD on July 23. Get your tickets now.
