Dito at Doon is a direct-to-digital romantic-comedy film which premiered locally last March 31 across various streaming platforms and globally last May 1 via TBA Play. Directed by JP Habac and produced by TBA Studios, the film stars Janine Gutierrez (Babae at Baril) and JC Santos (100 Tula Para Kay Stella).

A story set during the implementation of the community quarantine in the Philippines, graduating political science student Len (Gutierrez) and a part-time delivery rider Caloy (Santos) cross paths online and develop a blooming relationship amidst quarantine. But as far as “quaranflings” go, can their love survive outside virtual spaces?

The cast also features Victor Anastacio and Yesh Burce as Len’s close friends, while Gutierrez’ real-life mother Lotlot de Leon as Len’s frontliner mother.

Originally set for a theatrical release on March 17, the film’s cinema run was postponed indefinitely due to the constant rising cases of COVID-19 and the return of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ).

In conversation with the director

Originally conceptualized as a small project set for a digital release such as YouTube, with the story’s concept; “may dalawang characters, mag-uusap, hindi magkikita. Ganun lang siya ka-linear.” But with the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic and the country in lockdown, changes with the script were made, Habac shared in an interview with The Benildean.

As a means to further utilize the visual medium, Habac pitched a concept from the script which features a “zoom to room” type of visual treatment. Citing the Netflix series “Sense8'' as inspiration, we see the characters’ virtual communication smoothly shift into a more intimate and physical setting. With the film’s themes of connect and disconnect, “through these technologies, kahit disconnected physically, we are still connected pa naman [...] Magkakasama sila pero hindi naman talaga,” he mentioned.

Habac has digitally released a “zoom” short film Happiness is an Allegory, Unhappiness is a Story starring Miguel Almendras and Juan Miguel Severo in 2020. Dito at Doon was initially supposed to have a similar visual direction. However, he stated that there are many compromises when shooting in a remote setting, such as the actors having to also think about framing, lighting, and the overall production design.

Habac’s close friend and keyboardist of Ben&Ben, Patricia Lasaten, helped in choosing “Nakikinig Ka Ba Sa Akin?” when choosing the theme song of the film. “Hindi magkakaroon ng impact ‘yung [pelikula] kung walang tulong ng kanta nila. Ang mga art na nilalabas natin, meron siyang dapat puntahan din. Meron siyang message na kahit ‘yung second layer ay romantic comedy pero di ka pa rin umaalis sa dapat mong sabihin. For me, ‘yun naman din ‘yung essence ng pelikula.”

Having been in the industry for more than a decade, Habac is used to the business of working with a large crew of people and “pamorningan'' 16-24 hour shoots. With the “new normal” production, it was harder. Shooting days were longer and working hours per day had to be trimmed down. Ultimately, the budget became bigger. Additional budget requirements for safety protocols were included, such as having a safety officer on-set and conducting swab tests.

The lock-in shoot for the film was held on December 1 to 21 of last year, with the cast and crew remaining in one location and away from their homes. It was definitely harder to make mistakes, and reshoots were much more complicated. Thus, responsible and meticulous shooting was taken into consideration.

As a director leading a project in the “new normal” production, one of the major challenges  was thinking about the anxiety and health of everyone. 

“Nandoon ang need to work para mabuhay [...] Every time I go to the set, I feel this anxiety na ‘What if may mangyaring masama, sa akin, sa mga tao ko?’ Natatakot ako na baka may mag-positive. Mawawalan sila ng trabaho, kasi pauuwiin sila pag nag-positive. Eh, ang tagal na hinintay nila magka-trabaho,” Habac shared.

Furthermore, stories set in the pandemic will still most likely be present, “Sa panahon ngayon, mas ito ‘yung opportunity to tell stories in any way we can. Kahit anong genre pa yan [...] ito yung tamang opportunity na makapag-kwento tayo ng mga kwento na nagmimirror ng reality natin ngayon,” Habac said.

Furthermore, as a creative force like Habac, he was lucky enough to have found his jive during lockdown, with projects Gaya Sa Pelikula and Meet Me Outside to fill his quarantine blues, saying, “Natutunan ko kasi na hindi maniwala sa burnout. For me, kung mahal mo ‘yung ginagawa mo, ‘di mo siya iiwan. May love-hate relationship naman ako sa pagpe-pelikula. Pero mahal na mahal ko siya na hindi ko siya kayang iwan [...] Dumating ako sa point [last year] na pagod na pagod ako kahit wala naman akong ginawang pelikula. It’s valid kasi nasa gitna tayo ng pandemic.”

With most of us experiencing plans being derailed or put on hold, Habac was not spared of this dilemma. Back in March 2020, Habac and his team were supposed to start pre-production on Golden, “a music-filled comedy about the lives of the golden gays of Manila,” before the implementation of the lockdown.

But as they say, history repeats itself. March 2021 seems like a remake of the previous year. An undisclosed upcoming project from Habac was also supposed to start this past March, but was moved indefinitely.

Lockdown in love

Dito at Doon is more than just a love story, and it remains relevant with its timely setting. Many may share the sentiments of internet love, and the kilig factor can remind us of love in different forms. 

The film’s highlight would be its visual style, adding something new to the genre. This also parallels how we get to imagine the presence of our friends and loved ones as we connect with them virtually. During those fleeting moments as we get acquainted with Len (Gutierrez) and Caloy (Santos), we begin to reminisce our pre-pandemic memories. Perhaps the prolonged lockdown and longing for comfort make us appreciate more of the kilig aspect of a rom-com. Both Gutierrez and Santos gave lofty performances in their respective roles. 

Furthermore, Len’s close friends and couple Mark (Anastacio) and Jo (Burce) add to the comedic and kwela side of the story. However, there’s this idealistic undertone which makes the film fall in the realms of the typical indie rom-com at that, with added visual flare. 

Overall, the film is worth checking out if you’re curious about the “new normal” of storytelling. Under the direction of Habac, love stories still remain despite the current times, “Kailangan natin alagaan ‘yung mental health natin na ‘wag masyado mag-isip. Isipin nila na may mas malaki pang problema. Pero kung meron silang way para makapag-produce, makagawa, mas maganda ‘yun. [...] We need art, basically. We need films, series, mga libro na pwedeng basahin.”

Don’t miss out on the kilig and timely setting before May 31! Be sure to grab your tickets on TBA Play, Upstream, Cinema ‘76 @ Home, Ticket2Me, and KTX.