Why Heart and Daniel broke up

Like in the case of Derek Ramsay and Angelica Panganiban, the break-up of Heart Evangelista and Brapanese Daniel “Cry Baby” Matsunaga was initiated by the girl - Heart that is.

“We broke up via the Skype,” Heart admitted in a heart-to-heart interview with Funfare, and not, contrary to rumors, through text messaging. “How could that be when Daniel didn’t have a SIM card? Ayaw niyang bumili, eh!”

Heart was in Manila and Daniel was then vacationing in his native Brazil where Heart also spent a vacation with Daniel and his folks a few months ago. According to rumors, Daniel left in haste after receiving “death threats” from unknown sources and that Heart’s parents frowned on the couple’s relationship and didn’t hide their “disapproval” from Daniel.

“Not true,” said Heart. “I’m old enough to decide for myself, to know what I want and what I don’t want, what’s good for me and what’s not good for me.”

So what caused the break-up?

“There’s no third party, definitely,” stressed Heart. “Siguro due to cultural differences.”

Did she simply get fed up of taking care of Daniel who, according to some sources, looked up to Heart not just as a girlfriend but as an older sister (he’s 23 and she’s 27)?

“Daniel is somewhat demanding,” said the source. “He got irritated when Heart would be late in fetching him wherever he was. He needed to be taken care of instead of the other way around. Nagmumukhang yaya tuloy niya si Heart.”

Heart neither denied nor confirmed it even if she admitted that Daniel was a nice guy.

“Mabait talaga siya, no doubt about it,” said Heart. “I spent time with his family in Brazil at mababait silang lahat.”

When Heart broke up with Jericho Rosales, poor Jericho cried a river, and so did poor Daniel on national television, prompting people to call him a Cry Baby, professing his love for Heart. Even Daniel’s family confirmed that they still love Heart.

Asked why her boyfriends drowned in an ocean of tears when she left them, Heart thought for a while.

“Siguro dahil maalaga ako kaya nami-miss nila ako.”

Told that she didn’t seem at all affected by the break-up, Heart explained that she could easily spring back to normal. “All is fair in love and war.”

In the wake of the break-up, there are rumors that, while Daniel is licking his wounds and trying hard to mend his broken heart (the organ, not his girlfriend, hehehe!), Heart has already found a new love in Sid Lucero, her co-star on the GMA soap Legacy, who himself is said to be having problems with his girlfriend (member of a band). A case of misery loves company?

“Yes,” Heart admitted, “I’m dating pero hanggang d’un lang. I go out with Sid but only on friendly dates,” at the same time denying rumors linking her to Sen. Chiz Escudero (photo) who is separated from his wife Tintin. (Contacted by Funfare about Heart, Chiz said, “Di po totoo.”

Incidentally, who is Heart’s one true love?

“Jericho,” Heart said without a second thought. “Talagang si Jericho. Iba talaga ang Pinoy magmahal at mahalin.”

Septic Tank to screen at NY’s MoMA

The Museum of Modern Art (or MoMA), considered as the most influential museum of modern art world based in New York City and a favorite art destination among visiting gliterrati, is screening the highly-acclaimed Filipino comedy film The Woman in the Septic Tank (Ang Babae Sa Septic Tank) from May 23 to 28.

The Marlon N. Rivera-directed movie, which stars the multi-awarded actress Eugene Domingo, is the Philippines’ official entry to the 2011 Oscars Best Foreign Film. It also stars rising Filipino actors JM de Guzman, Kean Cipriano and Cai Cortez.

According to Funfare’s Big Apple correspondent Edmund Silvestre, “It is part of MoMA’s monthly exhibition called ContemporaAsian which showcases ‘films that get little exposure outside of their home countries or on the international festival circuit, but which engage the various styles, histories, and changes in Asian cinema.’”

Septic Tank’s New York premiere at MoMA’s Theater 2 (The Roy and Niuta Titus Theater) on West 53rd Street in Manhattan is scheduled on May 23 at 7 p.m.; May 24 at 4 p.m.; May 25 at 7 p.m.; May 26 at 1:30 p.m.; May 27 at 5 p.m.; and on May 28 at 4 p.m.

Admission to the film is $12 (for adults), $10 for seniors (65 years and above with ID) and $8 for students with ID.

New York-based Filipino writer/filmmaker Vincent B. Nebrida, who is helping promote the movie, said MoMA’s screening of Septic Tank became a reality after MoMA’s curator/programmer caught the Pinoy flick at this year’s Berlin Film Festival “and loved it.”

“It deserves all the festival participation, critical acclaim and awards it’s been getting,” Edmund quoted Nebrida as saying. Nebrida is associated with Unitel, the sister outfit of Straight Shooters, which co-produced/line produced Septic Tank. Unitel is behind Nebrida’s productions of critically-acclaimed Filipino movies Crying Ladies and American Adobo.

Nebrida added that the New York Times is set to review the Eugene Domingo starrer, which to date is the highest grossing Filipino independent film.

Edmund noted that Fil-Ams who have seen the movie said New York’s film buffs will definitely fall in love with Domingo and her co-stars’ splendid acting, which was recently honored by the Asian Film Awards.

The 87-minute (with English subtitles) self-reflexive parody of contemporary Filipino art films follows a trio of young filmmakers during preproduction on the film they hope will get them break into the film festival circuit abroad—a tearjerker about a suffering Manila slum mother (Eugene) forced to sell her son to a pedophile. It is also a satire of the international film festival community from perspective of Filipino artists.

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. You may also send your questions to [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on www.twitter/therealrickylo.)