This love story is ‘first of its kind’

Love is not only addictive, it consumes, liberates and intoxicates. Since the time of the glory that was Greece, eight types of love have been identified: Philia, pragma, storge, eros, ludus, philatia and agape. Let your fingers go to your favorite search engine to know the components and givens for these kinds of love enumerated.

Agape is the kind of love that we will all witness and unravel in Unconditional, a film by Adolf Alix Jr., screenplay written by Jerry Gracio and produced by BR Film Productions.

Agape is said to be the highest form of love, given without any expectations for anything in return. Offering agape is a decision to spread love. It is not a physical act, but a feeling.

Shot in Siargao, the movie is top-billed by Rhian Ramos and Allen Dizon with a supporting cast that includes Elizabeth Oropesa, Lotlot de Leon, Paolo Gumabao, Rico Barrera, Brandon Ramirez and Joel Lamangan.

Different kind of love

“Unconditional, simply put, is a love story between a transman and a woman,” Alix explains. “His being a transman is not a plot twist. Early in the movie, this fact is made known. I want this film to be an honest representation of love that knows no gender, sexual identification and preference. Here, love wins is not just a slogan or a woke statement. It is a love shared by two individuals with all the honesty, complexity and feels of this different kind of relationship.”

In Philippine cinema, a man falling in love with another man is already a successful trope. A flamboyant queer queen and a straight man in a relationship has been done to the point of exhaustion. A man falling in love with a transwoman? A staple in most drama anthologies.

The Alix-Gracio movie is the first of its kind as central characters of the movie are Anna (Ramos), a woman who considers herself as a progressive thinker and accepting of the diversity of individual whose romantic relationship with Greg (Dizon), a transman, stirs not only the hornet’s nest, but is scrutinized and judged as an oddity.

“It’s a fresh narrative because it opens our eyes and hearts to the experiences of a transman, especially with his coming to terms with himself and the love he feels for this woman,” the director says. “Exciting and intriguing as well (is the) process of acceptance of and falling in love (of) Anna (with) Greg. In this movie, we will all witness this different kind of love blossoming and the commitment and resolve of the two characters to not only make it happen, but work.”

Focusing on feelings

Ramos starred in The Rich Man’s Daughter, the first-ever lesbian-themed primetime drama with Glaiza de Castro. The two will also be lead stars in a Sappho-laced romantic movie billed I Fell, It’s Fine. Doing challenging and daunting pink characters are not new to her. However, being Anna poses a bigger hurdle for the actress.

“This is my first time to portray a woman who falls in love with a transman,” Ramos admits. “‘Yung falling in love per se nga with a man, hindi ganun kabilis and kadali especially in films or TV shows, so ito, kakaiba talaga siya kasi nga transman ‘yung character ni Allen (Falling in love with a man already takes time, so this role really is different).”

“As an actress, what I am doing now is focusing more on my feelings and not be intimidated by the fact that Allen’s Greg is a transman,” says Ramos. “Greg’s character was written in such a way that it is easy to be in love with him kasi green flag na green flag ‘yung pagkakasulat sa kanya (the way his character is written is all green flags). And also, it helps me a lot that the actor giving life to him is Allen, na talagang mahusay (who is a really good actor). He made Greg his own, full of sincerity and warmth, and all the lovely and wonderful things and traits of a man.”

She adds, “The love of Anna and Greg is the agape type of love. Usually, unconditional love is between a mother and her kids. Dito, ‘yung agape ang meron ‘yung dalawang characters (Here, agape is between these two characters).”

Novel experience

Doing out-of-the-box roles is not alien to multi-awarded Allen Dizon. He dives deep, and gives emotional truth and vulnerability to the characters assigned to him.

Admitting that “being Greg” is something new to him, Dizon says, “As far as the LGBT is concerned, I am aware of gay men, the out ones and those who are straight acting. I also know of bisexual men. Alam ko rin na may (I also know there are) transwomen. Pero itong (But this being) transman, itong si (this being) Greg, first time ito, kakaiba (it is a first, and it is truly novel).”

“I did my own research, of course, watched videos and clips of transmen, and it helps that Nil Nodalo, is our consultant, is a transman,” said Dizon. Nodalo is the CEO and founder of Transman Pilipinas.

Unconditional is a film about love and acceptance. This is an out-of-the-ordinary story of Anna and Greg, given passion and romance by two of the Philippines’ finest actors, Rhian Ramos and Allen Dizon.

Yes, my curiosity is not just aroused, my desire to watch and support Unconditional is fueled!