On February 15, award-winning director Zig Dulay considered Alessandra de Rossi his standard for actors.
During a media gathering at Wildflour Cafe and Bakery in Tomas Morato, Quezon City, which LionhearTV covered, Dulay recounted working with de Rossi on various projects, most notably, Bambanti in 2015 and Firefly in 2023.
“From time to time, lagi kaming may project ni Alex, tapos sobrang thankful ako na kasama ko siya ulit sa Firefly. Kasi ang tagal na ng Bambanti before, kasi after ng Bambanti, siya pa rin lagi ‘yung tinitignan ko, siya pa rin lagi ‘yung mga kinukwento ko sa mga kaibigan ko.”
He then noted that after working with the actress for many years, he has always considered de Rossi his standard when working with other actors.
“Siya pa rin ‘yun inaano ko, ‘yung ginagawang standard kumbaga. Laging ano– laging kapag may kakaharapin kang ibang tao na artista, ang inaano mo lagi ‘yung parang katulad ba siya nito, katulad ba siya o magkaiba sila.
“Kasi unang-una naman, ‘yung mga growing years ko, parang binubuo ko ‘yung sarili ko bilang filmmaker, si Alex kasi ‘yung nandoon.”
De Rossi responded by detailing her recollection of the award-winning director’s early years with only having a single to now owning mainstream filmmaking equipment.
Aside from their friendship, Dulay and de Rossi also revealed how they often discuss concepts they want to do as artists.
“Hindi madalas kami, even after ng Bambanti, lagi kaming–lagi akong pumupunta sa bahay niya kasi parang lagi’t-lagi mayroon kaming material na iko-collab. Pero, siyempre hinihintay namin ‘yung bagsak ng universe sa amin, ‘yung flow ng universe. Pero, hanggang ngayon hindi pa rin kami sumusuko,” said Dulay.
As for their recent film project, Firefly won several accolades at the 2024 Manila International Film Festival.
Among their awards were Best Picture, Best Director with Zig Dulay, Best Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actress with Alessandra de Rossi.
The film also garnered nominations for Best Supporting Actress with Cherry Pie Picache, Best Supporting Actor with Epy Quizon, and Best Cinematography.
Firefly stars Alessandra de Rossi, Euwann Mikaell, Miguel Tanfelix, Ysabel Ortega, Yayo Aguila, Max Collins, Cherry Pie Picache, and a special participation from Dingdong Dantes.
