JC Santos, Valeen Montenegro blend romance, financial literacy in ‘I Remember You’
(from left) JC Santos, Valeen Montenegro, and director Hugo “Boboy” Yonzon at the recent “I Remember You” press junket. Image: INQUIRER.net/Jessica Ann Evangelista
JC Santos and Valeen Montenegro are joining forces for the first time on screen in the upcoming film “I Remember You,” which dares to blend romance with financial literacy.
Santos and Montenegro recently sat down with INQUIRER.net alongside the film’s director, Hugo “Boboy” Yonzon, to discuss their experience working on the project.
“I Remember You” follows Gani (Santos), a bank employee assigned to Boracay to save a failing branch of their microfinance oriented bank. He then finds himself in a love triangle when his past love, Debbie (Montenegro), returns to the island while he grows closer to a single mother, Isay (Sarah Panguiton).
Despite the romantic elements, Santos emphasized that he wants the viewers’ takeaway to center on financial literacy, as the film is set to tackle microfinance, which refers to “financial services targeting individuals and small businesses who lack access to conventional banking and related services.”
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“We wanted to inspire people that this is how they work hard, this is how they handle money, this is how they save,” he said. “It’s more educational for me because at the same time that I’m studying the character, I’m playing him, there’s also a lot of input from me in terms of this kind of service industry.”
Montenegro, on the other hand, noted that it is not only with love that people get to have second chances, but also with financial struggles.
“This movie is all about second chances, it’s not just in love but also in life. So if you feel like you’re in debt or you don’t know what the next steps are, take that second chance and live your life again. To start over again. Because if you have a second chance, grab it,” she explained.
Meanwhile, for Direk Bobby, he wants the viewers to see the other side of Boracay aside from its aesthetic offerings.
“When we talk about Boracay, we think it’s fun, we see the sunset, we think of the food, but maybe we remember that there are some gnomes, elves on the island who are struggling. So we need to understand that,” he said.
“I Remember You” premieres in nationwide cinemas on July 9. /edv
