Aiko feels vindicated

When Aiko Melendez got the news that she had won the Best Lead Actress in a Foreign Language Film award from the 7th International Filmmakers Festival of World Cinema in London for the indie film and Cinemalaya entry Asintado (Between the Eyes), she was genuinely surprised.

At the same time, she felt vindicated because the Louie Ignacio-directed film was one of the most physically-grueling and emotionally-challenging screen assignments she’d ever taken on. Asintado, which was an entry to last year’s Cinemalaya Film Festival, is the story of Julia, a widowed mother of two who is faced with a difficult decision. One of her sons takes on a drug courier job that goes terribly wrong and in order to save him, she must make a decision to put her other son at risk and possibly turn him into a criminal. The story is situated in a town in Nueva Ecija and takes place during the Taong Putik festival.

Aside from Aiko, other actors who played significant roles in the movie are Gabby Eigenmann, child actor Miggs Cuaderno, Rochelle Pangilinan and Jake Vargas.

From the moment she read the script, says Aiko, all doubts disappeared. She could already sense that it was going to challenge her in ways that few other film assignments had done before. “I was reading the script and I could not drop it,” says Aiko. “I wanted to do the role because people are always used to seeing me in roles wherein I’m nice or glamorous. I wanted them to see a different side of me. That’s why I accepted the project.”

Coincidentally, it came along at a difficult time in Aiko’s life. She was going through some things and needed inspiration. That’s what Asintado provided. It became something for her to hold on to in the midst of all that was happening. “Sobrang low ang self-esteem ko that time. I was going through a lot of trials in my life. I hadn’t done a movie in a long time, and the last award I got was about 15 or 18 years ago.”

It was also going to be her first indie movie. But Aiko was challenged at that point and decided to say yes to the project. “It was really hard to shoot,” she recalls. “I was at my heaviest weight then — about 185 pounds — and I had to be probinsyana-looking for the role because the story is supposed to be happening in a small town in Nueva Ecija. And it was a huge challenge because we would shoot in Nueva Ecija twice a week, tapos puro putik ang katawan at face ko. It was really physically draining but with these kinds of projects, you do them because you love them. It’s really a passion.”

Eventually, the movie was finished and became an entry in the 2014 Cinemalaya Festival. When it was submitted to foreign festivals for consideration, Aiko learned of her nomination. But the odds were considerable: In the Best Actress race alone, she was up against seven other actresses from different countries.

She wanted to go to London with direk Louie but she had commitments here that she couldn’t leave, including taping for the forthcoming ABS-CBN show Inday Bote (starring Alex Gonzaga) and another indie film titled Daluyong. So much as it pained her, Aiko had to stay behind while direk Louie went ahead.

Imagine her surprise when she received the call that she had won. Aiko immediately posted thank-you messages on her Facebook account as a way of extending her gratitude to everyone who supported the movie. Soon, it will be making the rounds of other film festivals but Aiko isn’t letting the pressure of another victory get to her.

Right now, she is content to take it day by day. “This award somehow boosted my confidence and it made me love myself more,” says Aiko. “But the honor isn’t just mine alone. It’s for every Filipino.”