Anna Luna, Richard Quan shine in new Filipino-Korean film

Directed by Randolph Longjas, written by Mark Raywin Tome and produced by UxS (Unitel x Straightshooters), Mujigae is the story of a vibrant five-year-old Filipino-Korean orphan, with rising child star Ryrie Sophia playing the title role. She finds an unlikely mother figure in her estranged aunt, Sunny (Alexa Ilacad).

Also featured in the movie are Korean actor Kim Ji-soo, Anna Luna, Richard Quan, Kate Alejandrino, Donna Cariage, Cai Cortez, Roli Inocencio, Lui Manansala, Peewee O’Hara, with the special participation of Rufa Mae Quinto.

Mujigae follows the journey of a half-Korean, half-Filipino young girl as she discovers, appreciates and forms relationships with new people in her life when she returns to the Philippines, hoping to stay for good.

“This project means a lot to me,” said Longjas. “I am grateful to my team. Together, we moved mountains to bring this story to life and saw the ‘mujigae’ (rainbow) at the end of it.”

The young filmmaker added: “I think moviegoers will go through a rollercoaster of emotions, depending on where they stand on having kids. I’m not here to tell you when to laugh or cry, but I promise there will be moments that resonate deeply.”

Anna Luna’s A-Game

One of the Philippines’ finest actresses brings her A-game to the movie as Rainalyn, Mujigae’s mother.

“My name is Rainalyn. It is in contrast to my sister’s name (Sunny, played by Alexa),” said actress Luna when asked about her character. “My role is very important because she is Mujigae’s mother. She is a selfless woman who will do everything for her daughter, even when circumstances give her enough reasons to give up. But no, she ensures that she remains present in her daughter’s life.”

She added: “What attracted me to this film is that, as a real-life mother, I can relate to the choices my character makes. I would do the same for my child — be strong and provide everything to make sure my daughter is safe and happy, even if there are inevitable challenges.”

Anna shared how she chooses her roles: “Every role is challenging, but I look for characters that push me beyond my ‘normal’ self. That way, I can have more room to play when building the character.”

Regarding lead and supporting roles, the actress said: “Whether it’s a lead, supporting, or even a cameo role, you have to give life and sincerity to your characters.”

“The most challenging roles to portray are the lead ones because you have to be clear with all your objectives and actions to ensure the arc of the story is clear to the audience,” Anna added.

Reflecting on the life lessons from playing Rainalyn, Anna shared, “The biggest lesson I learned was to give unconditional love. You know, love has no limits. And nothing in life is permanent, so we should make the most out of it. Let’s show our loved ones how much we care about them and how deeply we love them.”

Anna’s beautiful Filipina face beamed as she talked about her on-screen daughter, Ryrie. “Napakagaling niya as Mujigae (She’s so good as Mujigae),” said Anna. “We really bonded. Para na talaga niya akong nanay (It really feels like I’m her mom).”

She revealed, “We had to learn the Korean language. I felt a lot of pressure — Ryrie even memorized my Korean lines before I did!”

Anna did not mince words when praising the young actress’ talent. “Pardon me for being repetitive, but she’s an amazing young actress — so professional. Grabe magpaiyak sa eksena (She’s incredible at making people cry in scenes).”

She had a sweet smile on her face when she talked about working with Ji Soo. “Since he was Mujigae’s father, we had scenes together. My K-drama dreams came true — I had to do some scenes with a legit oppa!”

Richard Quan’s seasoned take

Seasoned actor Richard Quan is another major reason why Mujigae is a must-watch.

“Any character that excites me — usually complex characters, both mentally and psychologically — something I haven’t done yet — can be a simple character,” said the ace actor when discussing his preferred roles. “It’s more challenging when you put them in a complex and complicated situation, too.”

Lead and supporting roles are not alien to Richard, and as always, he brings sincerity and vulnerability to the characters assigned to him. “I want to portray them as closely as possible to real people,” said the actor. “In real life, everyone is the star of their own story, which is why I always make it a point to view the characters I am portraying as ‘bida sa sariling mundo nila (star of their own world).’”

“The differences and challenges come after the actual shoot — lead actors have more responsibilities,” Quan said frankly. “Promotion, interviews and, for me, that is the difficult part.”

The character of Lolo Emong appealed to Quan because “he is a simple-minded tatay (father) placed in a complex situation because of his past decisions. What excited me about him is the deep range of emotions he experiences; I haven’t dug that deep emotionally and mentally as an actor, as far as I can remember.”

Quan had kind words for child actress Ryrie Sophia: “Super cute and charming, but beneath the cuteness is a very intelligent kid,” said the seasoned character actor. “I haven’t met a six-year-old girl with such high IQ and EQ — a truly brilliant kid.”

“Kim Ji Soo was very respectful, focused and always well-prepared in our scenes,” Richard said. “From him, I learned about the situation of Korean actors compared to Filipino actors.”

And about Alexa, Richard said, “She’s a no-nonsense person; what you see is what you get. I would say she is a rarity in the industry, especially nowadays. We get along very well as actors; without even talking about it, we know if we nailed the scene or need another take. She’s a very good actress — the sky is the limit — and intelligent too.”

There is no denying that Mujigae is a cinematic gem and a wonder that is worthy of our time, hard-earned pesos and positive word of mouth. It hits theaters nationwide starting last September as an SM Cinema exclusive.