Have you, even for a quick second, wished to not feel any kind of pain, whether physical or emotional? After all, life can oftentimes be unfair, unjust, and cruel. However positive or favorable your disposition is, there comes a time when you would wish to get away from it all and be immune (pun or no pun intended) from the world’s adversities.
But, what if, by stroke of fate, you were born to not feel any pain? Is it going to be like heaven on earth for you, or is it going to be a hellish existence while still on earth?
As if thinking aloud, film director Darryl Yap, the brains behind recent movies like “Jowable,” “Paglaki Ko Gusto Kong Maging Pornstar,” and “Tililing,” once again introduces us to an unknown world in his latest movie, “Ang Babaeng Walang Pakiramdam.” The Vivamax production stars multi-talented actress, singer and host, Kim Molina, and comedian Jerald Napoles, themselves a real-life twosome as they admitted in the virtual movie presscon attended by this columnist.
The movie is about Tasha (Kim Molina), a woman diagnosed with Congenital Insensitivity to Pain (CIP). Certainly different from being callous, this condition makes her incapable of feeling pain – be it physical or emotional pain. And, because of her condition, she also has no idea how love works, not until she meets Ngongo (Jerald Napoles), a man with cleft palate. Ngongo becomes instrumental to make Tasha feel again, especially the joys of love and pains of heartache.
As Direk Darryl puts it, “Together, they experience an adventure that they will never forget.”
Just like in his recent movie, “Tililing,” which became controversial because of its insanity topic, Direk Darryl is not afraid to delve into topics that people are uncomfortable talking about or are unfamiliar with. “CIP is a rare condition that is not widely-known especially here in the Philippines,” he adds. “The movie can give us an insight of this rare condition and how it affects the life of an individual who has this condition as well as those of their family and friends,” continues Direk Darryl.
Asked how he managed to let his actors portray the sensitive topic as it concerns persons with disabilities (PWD), Direk Darryl said that he did extensive research on the unique characteristics of these individuals. “We made certain that the movie does not encroach on the sensibilities of these individuals, cautious not to discriminate or create a stigma on their condition,” he elaborates.
The movie is the first on-screen pairing of real-life couple Kim Molina and Jerald Napoles. The couple’s fans already know how sweet and funny they are together in their vlogs, and it is a refreshing treat to see them act together as a couple in a movie. Meanwhile, this is the second film of Direk Darryl and Kim, who first worked together for the movie “Jowable,” which became a blockbuster hit in 2019.
During the presscon, Kim shared that she and Jerald have been together for about a year now and, “so far, so good.” She confesses that Jerald tends to spoil her in a way, like preparing her coffee as soon as she wakes up. “Little things like those make one’s relationship special, especially so that now, we just stay home if there are no shoots or tapings, which are usually locked-in situations,” relates Kim.
While the movie already had its global premiere last June 11, what is great today with digital technology, which Vivamax has pursued relentlessly, is you can catch it even after its premiere.
Vivamax is available online at web.vivamax.net. You can also download the app and subscribe via Google Play Store and App Store or get your Vivamax vouchers on Shopee and Lazada. You can also watch all you can on Vivamax for only P149/month.
Truly, as its tagline declares, “Vivamax atin ‘to!” – NWI
