Under Parallel Skies is promoted by its makers as a "cross-country romance drama" not only because its protagonists and the actors playing them come from two different countries, Win Metawin of Thailand and Janella Salvador of the Philippines, but also its story takes place in Hong Kong, which executive producer Richard Juan describes as a "melting pot of cultures."

Juan, a third-generation Chinoy, was born in the Philippines and grew up in Hong Kong. He attended school in Singapore and then Canada before returning to the country to study at the University of the Philippines, where he earned his bachelor's degree in Broadcast Communication. Somewhere along the way, he joined the "You're My Foreignoy" competition on Eat Bulaga! and, later on, Pinoy Big Brother: 737 on ABS-CBN that paved the way for him to become an actor, host and now, entrepreneur and film producer.

Choosing a cross-cultural project for the first motion picture venture of his own production company, 28Squared Studios
(co-founded with Kristhoff Cagape) therefore came naturally for Juan. He said at Tuesday's mediacon for Under Parallel Skies that he wanted the movie to "portray what it's like in real life," such as relationships between people from different countries and cultures that many of his friends have experienced.

For the movie's screenwriter and director Sigrid Bernardo, who was also present at the media huddle held at Ballroom 1 of Hilton Manila hotel in Pasay City, Under Parallel Skies goes beyond showing "cohesiveness of the story that merges two cultures." What makes it "cross-country," she said, is "the process in filmmaking and bridging the gap between the two cultures" through mutual respect.

Living under the same sky

Metawin, a Thai actor of Chinese descent, happily reported that "it was very good working with the Filipino team." He also pointed out, "I think our culture is very similar, so I don't have to adapt anything or change anything for myself. You know, just blend in easily."

In the story, Metawin's character, a Thai bachelor named Parin, travels to Hong Kong in search of his missing mother. He then meets Iris, a Filipina hotel employee played by Salvador, and together, they go on an intersecting journey that ultimately takes them to a more meaningful life as individuals.

Salvador, who has proven to be a cut above many young actors in the Philippines, shared her thoughts on the topic: "For me, I like how Direk describes our movie, which is no matter how different we are [because] obviously our characters come from different parts of the world…No matter how different you are, we live under the same sky. We can all just connect with each other. I think the real connection is that we can really just love each other freely."

In the story, Metawin's character, a Thai bachelor named Parin, travels to Hong Kong in search of his missing mother. He then meets Iris, a Filipina hotel employee played by Salvador, and together, they go on an intersecting journey that ultimately takes them to a more meaningful life as individuals.

"As for Iris," Salvador said of her character, "she's actually very different from who I am in real life, which makes her a bit challenging for me to portray. But I love every bit of it kasi ang dami kong natutunan kay (because I learned about from) Iris bilang OFW siya (as she's an overseas Filipino worker). I think if we have a similarity is that we're both big dreamers."

Concurring with his leading lady, Metawin said of his own character: "For me, we're not very similar as well…Maybe just the way he understands that you can create your own happiness." And that's exactly what he hopes moviegoers will glean from Under Parallel Skies.

When asked about what makes a good story, Bernardo, the filmmaker behind such successful movies as Kita Kita (2017) and Walang Kaparis (2013), had this to say: "Film is a form of art, and we have different perspectives on how we view art or even beauty. But I do believe that having a good story, we should be able to capture the audience's attention. It should involve emotions on a different level.

"Even if the story can bring us to a different world, but also reflecting the universal truth of human experience. I think, of course, the characters are well thought-out and you need a compelling plot and definitely thought-provoking themes that even if the credits roll, you need to have the question: What is the takeaway of this film that I've just seen? It should create discussion, a debate. Whether you have this negative or a positive review, as long as the story can create this debate and attention, it's a good story for me."

To which, Juan quipped, "And I think for our film there will probably be some debate." We can all find out when Under Parallel Skies, with Warner Bros. as distributor, opens in Philippine cinemas on 17 April, followed by screenings in Singapore on 1 May and Thailand on 9 May.