‘Balaraw’: Come for the GL, stay for the folklore
The first teaser for the mystery thriller “Balaraw” opens with a shot of a boat in the middle of the sea. Passengers seeking a mysterious island suspect that the boatman is being sly and is messing with them. But between the beautiful scenery and the ensuing brawl, it’s an almost throwaway line Charlie Dizon utters to Janine Gutierrez that caused a stir:
“Babe, okay ka lang?”
Babe? Girl’s love (GL)? Fans rejoice.
“Nagulat nga ako na that was one of the main things they were excited about,” Gutierrez tells Lifestyle Inquirer. “It makes me happy kasi a lot of people are yearning for this kind of representation… I hope it also makes them happy to see our love story in the show.”
Unexpected change
In the Netflix series, Gutierrez plays Sabina, a woman whose desperate, four-year quest for her missing mother leads her to an ominous island called Balaraw—or Babang Yawa to its inhabitants—which holds the key to her family’s secrets. The salve to her anxiety is her spunky and stubborn girlfriend, Bulak (Dizon), who follows her into the unknown.
Directed by Rae Red, the show also stars Agot Isidro, Nonie Buencamino, and Ronnie Lazaro.
While Gutierrez is no stranger to projects with a sapphic love story, “Balaraw” is Dizon’s first. Who knew that—after fangirling over each other on Twitter years ago—their first time working together would involve playing a romantic couple?
“Exciting siya for me. Bagong-bago siya para sa ‘kin. ‘Di ko akalain na ito ang first project namin ni Janine,” says Dizon, who also recalls that their characters were initially pitched as best friends. But as the shoot drew nearer, suddenly it was girls’ love. The unexpected change only added to the appeal.
“Nakaka-excite lalo, siyempre. Kasi usually ang representation ng GL, madalas sa ibang bansa. So, at least dumadami na rin ‘yong ganitong projects [dito],” she says. Besides, if you have seen her breakthrough film “Fan Girl,” you would know that Dizon isn’t one to shy away from a challenging, unfamiliar role.
Affectionate scenes
Their dynamic isn’t really all lovey-dovey, but more that of a settled, long-term couple. How did they build their chemistry? It helps, Gutierrez says, that they have known each other for a while now—with some good ol’ “trauma bonding” to seal the friendship.
“The first time we met, naging adventure ‘yong gabi na ‘yon. Parang nag-trauma bonding kami. Since then, connected na kami,” she says, laughing. “I think that really helped. I super trust her with everything and super comfy ako sa kanya.”
The “shared experiences, trust, and inside jokes” are already there. But the first affectionate scenes they shot together still got Dizon all tense. “As in! Laging sinasabi sa ‘kin ni Janine, ‘Bakit ka nate-tense? Ako lang ‘to!’” she shares in an earlier interview. “Sobrang pinagpawisan ang bigote ko! Buti si Janine din ang partner ko kasi siya ang nag-reassure sa ‘kin.”
Thankfully, an acting coach and an intimacy coordinator were present to ensure that the scenes felt authentic and were handled with respect.
Physically demanding
While their pairing may lure viewers onto the island, the local folklore may well keep them on it. As a child, Gutierrez loved reading horror stories and legends about aswang and other mythical creatures. It’s fascinating to revisit those, she says, in greater depth and from a more mature perspective.
“What if they’re there with us, coexisting with us today?” she says.
The island is a character in itself, revealing its history and secrets as the adventure wears on. Filming took them to different locations in Bataan, Tagaytay, and Tanay. There’s combat on land and there are scenes underwater. Beautiful, but it can be physically demanding.
“There was a time where we shot in a boat. Kami ni Tito Ronnie ‘yon. Talagang nandoon kami sa gitna ng laot. Walang balikan ‘yon,” Gutierrez says. “Meron lang maliit na boat na may portalet, so kapag toilet break na, lilipat ka do’n tapos babalik ka ulit sa malaking bangka.”
“Ramdam mo talaga ‘yong physical toll, going on an adventure like this,” she says. “Pero visually, sobrang ganda niya. Ang laki-laki ng mundo ng ‘Balaraw.’”
Identity and discovery
The story was inspired by one of Red and co-creator Jeko Aguado’s discussions about their parents—specifically, their angst and the idea that you never really know who your parents were before you existed.
“When you know them, magulang mo na sila. You don’t really know the person they are before they had you,” Red points out. “And growing up, that was such a mystery to me.”
From there, they drew parallels with the island and its folklore. “Everything is shrouded in mystery. You don’t know how or where it started,” she adds.
Or perhaps it’s a metaphor, says Gutierrez, who suggests that Sabina’s search for her origins could also relate to how our identity as Filipinos was formed. “I guess it has a lot to do with identity and discovery,” she says. “But at the heart of it, it’s really about family, which is very important to the Filipino story.”
“Balaraw” premieres on Netflix on Oct. 29.
