50-plus shades of grey with Sunshine, Enzo and Raymond in "Malamaya"

What's in a title? In the case of the upcoming Cinemalaya 2019 competition film, "Malamaya," starring Sunshine Cruz, Enzo Pineda, with the special participation of Raymond Bagatsing, the title means a lot.

"Malamaya is a Tagalog term for the color of ash or gray," directors Danica Sta. Lucia and Leilani Chavez explain. Danica, a producer and video editor, and Leilani, a soap opera writer and journalist, are making their full-length directorial debut with this sexy romance about love and art produced by Spears Films, ALV Films and Cine Likha.

The story takes the viewer on a sensual journey through the eyes of Nora, a 45-year old unmarried visual artist (played by Sunshine) who is in an undefined relationship with a fellow artist named Jim (Raymond), a potter is recovering from the death of his wife. Nora's dull and uninspired life takes a colorful turn when she pays a visit to the university where her friend Alice (Bernadette Allyson) teaches. Here, Nora meets Migs (Enzo) young, upcoming photographer. The attraction between the two is instant. Visual artist and photographer then embark on a passionate love affair that ignites their respective lives and artistic endeavors.

The duo of female directors declares that their movie is about the gray areas between Nora and Migs. The directors elaborate, "Nora and Migs fall in and out of love. They battle for control...Thus, the story navigates the gray areas of love and relationship, sexual politics, intergenerational dynamics and creative ownership."

For Sunshine who has been making movies since she was 15 years old, "Malamaya" is a major turning point in her glorious career, so much so that she gave her full trust to her directors-especially in execution of the love scenes. "I have two directors na parehong babae. Whatever they asked me to do, I willingly did it because I know that I will be well taken cared of," reasons the sexy star-turned-newest-indie-sensation. "Dati nga hindi ako nag-aarte. Ngayon pa ba?" she adds good-naturedly. "The mere fact na Cinemalaya ang project and directed by women, solved na ako. This time, I am being given a chance to show my skills."

Likewise, "Malamaya" is a big break for Enzo who is bent on treading the path towards being a serious actor. For this film, Enzo daringly went out of his comfort zone. "Parang buong kaluluwa ko inexpose ko na sa film na ito," he says solemnly. The 28-year old actor not only bared for his love scenes with Sunshine, he also shared a number of dramatic highlights with the actress that showcase his depth and range.

Fresh from the success of "Quezon's Game" where he played the lead role, Raymond was excited to play a potter in this Cinemalaya film. "It's something different. My inspiration is Patrick Swayze in the movie, 'Ghost," Raymond says of his special role. "I'm also excited about the treatment of the directors, of the changing look and colors of the film as the film progresses.

Catch "Malamaya" at the 15th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival from August 2 to 13 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and selected cinemas nationwide. The wide commercial release begins on Agust 14.

For more information, follow malamaya_film on Instagram and Malamaya Film on Facebook.