MANILA, Philippines — They may play feuding mothers in the horror film “The Caretakers,” but in real life, Iza Calzado and Dimples Romana have discovered they have much in common.
Directed by Shugo Praico (“Bagman”) and co-produced by Regal Entertainment and Rein Entertainment, “The Caretakers” marks their first-ever film together, a long-awaited collaboration that both actresses had been looking forward to. In the movie, they are Lydia (Dimples) and Audrey (Iza) who will fight over the ownership of a rural ancestral house.
Dimples shared during a roundtable interview, “There was always a yearning to work with each other. My favorite part is that we’re both very generous with stories and also very generous in terms of respect. That’s very important.”
It was during the story conference for the film when Iza realized just how many similarities they shared. “There are a lot of parallelisms between us, there are also many differences. It’s so funny.
“When we had the story conference, I said, ‘She’s also talkative (like me).’ But I already knew that because we’ve seen each other several times on special occasions and work — but not while shooting — and always chatted.”
One particular moment during the storycon stuck with Iza. “She brought out three tumblers. I kept laughing and said, oh my gosh, obviously, we’re the same age. Like, there are certain rituals where you need one tumbler for tea, for water, etc. I just found it so mirroring ba.”
Beyond their shared quirks, Iza also noted their different life paths.
“She has three kids, I’ve just started. She began motherhood early, while I started quite late. Even in terms of career, we’ve been here for a long time, and she’s a very business-minded woman, while I am more advocacy-driven. There’s so much to learn from each other.”
Dimples echoed the sentiment. “It’s quite humbling to be working with somebody you actually adore from afar. For us artists, it’s not just because you worked with someone that you adore them. There are also people you admire from afar, and you wonder why your paths haven’t crossed yet?
“‘The Caretakers’ is really the perfect time, and I believe that it’s all in God’s perfect timing. You really can’t force something that’s not meant for you.
“And just like what Iza was saying, we’re very different and yet so similar. And what I love the most about our relationship, it’s that we don’t have to necessarily see each other all the time to give each other warmth.”
Horror film challenges
For Iza, one of the biggest challenges during filming was shooting the night scenes, plus other factors that physically took a toll on her. “I got bronchitis and pneumonia not just because of this film... but physically, it was taxing,” she admitted.
“Horror is a tough genre to shoot, ha, because the lighting is difficult, a lot of it is heightened emotions. It’s hard to balance the quiet moments and when you should be scared in this (certain) way,” she explained.
Dimples also found herself facing unique challenges, particularly with filming in an actual silong (basement). “We all know there are many stories about basements. Bukod sa nanakit yung balakang ko dahil ang lalim niya, I wondered, how do they even fit in here?”
Beyond the physical struggles, Dimples was mindful of the energy in the location. “Everything to me is energy. So, so when I enter a house, I’m the type to ask permission from the unseen, ‘Tabi-tabi po, pasensya na po, nakikidaan po kami’ (Excuse us, we’re just passing through).”
“So while we were shooting this, katakot-takot na dasal ang ginawa ko (I was praying a lot) because, of course, we believed we weren’t alone, given that the house was very old.
“It was the biggest struggle for me — the management of the energy — because… we were very acknowledging of the fact that, of course, this is a story about the surroundings, not just a mother story, and we were at the very core where things could move anytime,” she shared.
Iza agreed about seeking protection before a horror project shoot. “Actually, with any project, I always ask for a prayer to start, but especially with projects like this. Aside from personal prayer, there’s company prayer.”
Art of horror acting
Both actresses are no strangers to horror projects. Dimples has been doing horror projects since being launched 28 years ago as part of now-Star Magic.
“In horror acting, it’s really more on what you do not give, more than what you give. Kasi mahirap din yung ‘pag pinanood mo, puwedeng ma-put off ka kung napapangunahan ng takot mo.”
“In my character here, it wasn’t really a concern of mine because the acting required of me was more subtle, more subdued. I think what’s nice about it, with my character, I want you not to know what I’m going to deliver… because I am one of the characters that actually cannot be read,” Dimples said.
As for Iza, horror acting is about staying true to the character. “One of my first films was ‘Sigaw,’ and yes, it was a horror film. I think in everything that you do, you always try to play for truth, whatever genre it is. Sometimes, it’s hard because you overcomplicate things. But I always like to keep it as simple as possible.
“My character here, she’s more frantic, so I have to deliver what the role requires. And for me, when you play for truth, everything else just follows,” she added.
Echo horror
For the lead stars, what makes “The Caretakers” stand out is its take on the horror genre.
“Echo horror, because Mother Earth, Mother Nature — it tackles a lot of land, the environment, the force of nature, folk horror. Wala naman tayong manananggal dito (there are no manananggal here); this brings a different kind of horror).”
Dimples described the film as a “very quiet film.” “It’s a very quiet film and very timely… I feel like the world is already too noisy. And I think this film depicts really about being quiet but also being loud in that silence.
“But just because you’re silent doesn’t mean you can’t express yourself. Not everything we fight for is won with words — sometimes, it’s through actions. Like in the everyday act of love, in giving and in fighting for what matters…
“This film will make you pause and think about what it’s trying to tell you. It’s a very personal film.”
Iza agreed but also added that things get louder, leading to the climax. “It’s really important to follow the story when you watch this film. It’s a cinema experience because the scoring is phenomenal. You really have to watch it on the big screen,” she said.
“It will hopefully make you yearn for that silence to pause and reflect on, ‘What am I doing as a mother or as a caretaker of this life and this world?’”
“The Caretakers” opens in cinemas nationwide on Feb. 26.
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