2 Best Actress nominations for Iza

MANILA, Philippines - GMA Artist Center (GMAAC) talent Iza Calzado scored two Best Actress nominations in this year awards season.

“I cannot begin to describe the way I feel about being nominated in Gawad Urian and ENPRESS Golden Screen for Best Actress,” says Iza. She said she is truly grateful for these nominations, adding that “it is such an honor to be in the same league as great actresses such as Vilma Santos, Eugene Domingo, Irma Adlawan, Janice de Belen, and Sharon Cuneta for ENPRESS.”

Just to be nominated alongside these actresses, Iza says, “I feel like I have already won.”

The actress is cited for her role in Joel Lamangan’s socially-aware film Dukot. Iza says she owes everything to the director.

“It all started with (him). He would tell me before, that one day, he would like to do a film with me and I will play the lead.” Iza recounts that it was during the filming of Desperadas 2 that he told her about the role of Maricel in Dukot. “He was excited because he said that the project he wanted for me to do, was already being planned.”

Iza shares that she didn’t even have to consider anything. “I was more than happy to do the film.” Although Iza admits to being scared at first, upon finding out about the film’s political theme, the challenge excited her as well. “I had never done anything like that before. (And) upon reading the script, I became a hundred percent sure that I wanted to make this film.”

She confesses, “I even got emotional during our story conference. After seeing pictures and footage of people who were killed, abducted and missing.” Iza describes that during the making of the film, during the rape scene specifically, she felt really angry. “I would never wish that for anyone — even for people that I don’t really like.”

“I only wish that we could live in a society that is free from all these pain, suffering, and injustice.” Iza remarks, “one can dream, right?”

Until that time though, Iza thinks films like Dukot should continue being produced. “It is very important to keep making these films because it is a very powerful eye-opener for people everywhere.” Films like Dukot, according to Iza, show realities that people don’t often see or know about, because they are caught up in their own worlds.

“You see, it’s one thing to hear about this kind of news, or read about it, but watching a film that shows what can or did happen, to someone abducted or killed, is always powerful.”

“So long as these incidents happen, we must continue to show the realities of these events, so that people can continue the fight for justice.” Iza ends with a quote from Metallica, “And justice for all.”