Through Joanne and Paz, Jodi and Agot portray two women forced to confront the consequences of the past while facing an uncertain future, one that may finally offer them a chance at reconciliation, acceptance and peace.
DIRECTOR Cholo Laurel
Jodi Sta. Maria and Agot Isidro take on the emotionally complicated roles of a daughter and mother in Netflix’s new family drama Ganito, Ganyan, Ganoon, a story that delves into abandonment, unresolved childhood wounds, forgiveness and the messy process of healing.
Directed by Cholo H. Laurel, the film follows television writer Joanne (Jodi), a hyper-independent woman whose carefully ordered life is disrupted when her estranged mother, Paz (Agot), returns after two decades.
The reunion forces both women to confront the pain of their shared past while navigating the different ways they have dealt with it.
Drawing from wounds without becoming the character
For Jodi, playing Joanne proved to be both personal and challenging. Like her character, the actress grew up without knowing her father, allowing her to draw from certain experiences while being careful not to simply play herself on screen.
“I think Jo and Jody share one thing,” Jodi said, referring to the character’s abandonment and rejection issues.
Joanne’s experiences have shaped her into someone fiercely independent and accomplished. But beneath that strength are wounds that have influenced the way she deals with relationships and life.
Jodi said she relied heavily on Laurel to guide her through the character, particularly because she did not want to judge Joanne.
“If I begin to judge my character, then I won’t be able to play her. I won’t be able to be faithful to her,” she explained.
Rather than deciding whether Joanne’s actions were right or wrong, Jodi chose to understand where the character was coming from.
For her, people can interpret the same situation differently depending on their own experiences, particularly those formed during childhood.
“There are different points of view looking into one situation and having different experiences,” she said.
Jodi also noted that the film’s therapy sessions were helpful not only in moving the story forward but also in allowing the characters to confront what they had been carrying for years.
She described some scenes as organic, with moments sometimes unfolding differently from what had initially been planned.
The emotional weight of the story also extended beyond the performances. Jodi recalled that some sequences took two nights to shoot, with the production taking time to create the right cinematic atmosphere.
For her, the goal was simple: to make the emotions feel raw and real.
Forgiveness begins with the person carrying the hurt
Isidro plays Paz, Joanne’s mother, whose return home after years away reopens old wounds within the family.
After being absent from her daughter’s life, Paz makes a dramatic homecoming that sets off a chain of conflicts, revelations and, eventually, the possibility of healing.
Agot described Paz as far from one-dimensional.
“She’s hurt,” the actress said of the character’s emotional state, explaining that understanding the people behind complicated behavior was essential to portraying them.
For Agot, Paz is a product of her own experiences. Her choices may have caused pain, but they also came from wounds she herself had never fully dealt with.
That understanding became especially meaningful to Agot as she reflected on forgiveness.
Having recently turned 60, the actress said she has come to see forgiveness as something that ultimately comes from within rather than something dependent on another person’s apology.
“The healing and the forgiveness happens inside,” she said, stressing that the other person does not necessarily have to ask for forgiveness for one to begin healing.
That idea is particularly relevant to Paz and Joanne, whose relationship has been shaped by years of silence, blame and unresolved pain.
“There are different points of view looking into one situation and having different experiences,” Agot said, underscoring how the film allows its characters to see the same family history from different perspectives.
Ultimately, Ganito, Ganyan, Ganoon is less about identifying who is right or wrong and more about understanding how people become who they are.
Through Joanne and Paz, Jodi and Agot portray two women forced to confront the consequences of the past while facing an uncertain future, one that may finally offer them a chance at reconciliation, acceptance and peace.
Ganito, Ganyan, Ganoon also stars Gabriel Lazaro, Gardo Versoza, Ruby Ruiz, RK Bagatsing, Mitch Valdez and Angel Aquino. It is now streaming on Netflix.
