Kira Balinger on quitting show biz, dating LA Santos

Actress Kira Balinger, who plays an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) in “Maple Leaf Dreams,” said the story is something she can very well relate to because she has a big sister living in Hong Kong.

“My sister and her family have been there since before I was born. It’s really tough for us. We’ve spent a lot of Christmases without them. The last time I saw her and her children was when the kids were still babies. I’m only able to see them grow up through video calls. Yes, Hong Kong is quite near to us, but they can’t just come home whenever they want because my sister has work,” she told reporters over lunch recently.

Kira is paired with LA Santos in this romantic drama by Benedict Mique. “My wish is for my sister to be able to watch this and that it would touch her heart. This movie is really a love story for all OFWs,” she added.

In the story, they play couple Macky and Molly, who try their luck in Canada to seek a better life for their respective families. The couple’s journey is filled with challenges that test their love and willingness to pursue their dreams.

Kira said playing Molly was a humbling experience. “The lives of our characters are very different from how LA and I live, so the struggle was how to show their experiences, and even the emotions they feel, even if these have never happened to us in real life,” Kira said.

‘Big responsibility’

“For us, this was a big responsibility. In order to achieve this, we did immersions. LA and I tried to commute on our own. We also attended several acting workshops. All of these, we needed to process, remember and bring to Canada in order to portray our characters realistically. For me, the struggle was mostly emotional.

“No matter where you are, you find comfort from your family. That’s what I wanted to show the audience as Molly. She left the country not because she wanted to become rich. It’s because she wanted to give her family a good life. It hurts her to see them experiencing a hard life.”

The 24-year-old actress admitted that there were times when she considered quitting show biz. “I love this job. I enjoy portraying different roles, but there were a lot of moments when I thought of giving up on acting. People only see the glamorous side of our work.

“What they don’t know is that this industry can be difficult and very unfair to actors. But whenever I imagine quitting and ask myself, ‘What’s next?,’ it feels like finding another job doesn’t sit right with me. I love being an actress. I can’t imagine myself doing something else. Laban lang,” she said.

At the media gathering, Kira was also asked to discuss the chemistry she has formed with LA, her leading man. They met on the set of the defunct drama series “Ang Sa’yo ay Akin,” where Kira was paired with Grae Fernandez. She denied rumors that they are already dating.

“Do you want us to become a couple? Let’s do a survey first,” said Kira, laughing. “We’ve known each other for quite a while now. I feel that we were able to portray our characters more effectively because of the friendship we’ve formed through the years. We’ve developed trust in each other. It helped that Direk Bene was there. He is the director we needed for this movie. Even though it was hard, even though there were challenges, he did it for us.”

Kira added: “There are scenes that also reveal what my relationship with LA in real life is like, how we would tease each other, how we would throw our lines. There’s vulnerability. Add to all this what he just told us today—that he has a crush on me.”

When asked to share what she feels for LA, Kira said: “Secret! Ano siya, sinuswerte?”

Eighty percent of the film was shot on location in Toronto, Canada. The cast includes Joey Marquez and Snooky Serna, who play Molly’s parents; and Ricky Davao, who portrays Macky’s father.

“Maple Leaf Dreams” is an official entry to the 2024 Sinag Maynila Film Festival, which will run from Sept. 4 to Sept. 8 in select local cinemas. It will have its nationwide release beginning Sept. 25. It is produced by 7K Entertainment, Lonewolf Films and ABS-CBN’s Star Magic and distributed by Quantum Films.