Filipino actress Janine Gutierrez could hardly believe it when she was in the same locale as Hollywood superstars as Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton, Jude Law, Adrien Brody, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Daniel Craig, Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga.

Although Gutierrez didn’t see most of them, she was nonetheless thrilled that she got to grace the 2024 Venice Film Festival or the 81st La Biennale di Venezia held at the Lido Island in Italy.

Kapamilya actress Janine Gutierrez

Gutierrez talked to American actress Taylor Russell, who was in the jury of Venice Film Festival. She was the former girlfriend of One Direction member Harry Styles.

“I like both of them,” Gutierrez smilingly giggled. “They are my idols. I saw Taylor in the lobby. I tried to pose for a photo with her, but she declined because she was perspiring and it was too hot.

“We were the Philippine delegation there,” insisted Gutierrez, who stars in Lav Diaz’s “Phantosmia.”

“I want to show Venice our fashion designers here in the Philippines are world-class.”

Gutierrez starred in Lav Diaz’s four-hour drama, “Phantosmia,” that also casts Ronnie Lazaro as a character with a recurring mysterious olfactory problem, a phantom smell caused by trauma because of his military past.

The experience was a “dream-come-true” for Gutierrez, who was accompanied by the director, producer and other stars of the film  – director Diaz, Lazaro, Hazel Orencio, Dong Abay, Paul Jake Paule and producer Paul Soriano.

Soriano was accompanied by his wife, Toni Gonzaga, who supported Gutierrez when she walked the red carpet.

“Ang sarap pala ng feeling that everyone was looking at you,” Gutierrez recalled. “Super touching. I’m so grateful to everyone who did international film festivals before. I know Lovi (Poe) has been there, Mama Guy (Nora Aunor), Tita Jane (Jaclyn Jose) and Andi Eigenmann have done Cannes.

“Proud to be Filipino ang pakiramdam ko at that moment in Venice,” Gutierrez said. “Super grateful ako sa mga kasama ko. They were very supportive. My makeup artist was Anthea Bueno and my hair stylist was Jay Aquino who were with me.

“You could also see the flags for each nationality when you walk the red carpet. So I made sure I had my photo in front of our (Philippine) flag.”

“Phantosmia” is Diaz’s eighth work to screen in the Venice Film Festival. His first was “Kagadanan sa Banwaan ning mga Engkanto,” which received a Horizon’s Special Mention. “Melancholia” merited the Horizon’s Special Award the following year.

“Ang Babaeng Humayo” starring Charo Santos-Concio, won the Golden Lion in 2016

And “Lahi, Hayop” won the Horizon’s Best Director trophy for Diaz in 2020.

“I did another film with direk Lav before I did ‘Phantosmia,’ but the first one has not been shown yet,” said Gutierrez.

“His cast in our film was only 12 actors. Sobrang chill lang kami. We were just in two service vehicles all together. When it’s lunch or dinner, we were all still together. Coming from a big teleserye set, tahimik kami sa ‘Phantosmia.’ We were like a family.

“So when I started ‘Lavender Fields,’ nanibago ako after having worked with direk Lav in ‘Dirty Linen.’ Ang hirap pero ang saya to experience two different kinds of projects.”

Gutierrez was accompanied by her makeup artist and hair stylist, who also helped her don her dresses and take snaps for her for the festival. The black gown was made by Inno Sotto, while the powder blue tulip gown was executed by Vania Romoff.

Gutierrez is grateful that she was motivated by Diaz to give it her all in “Phantosmia,” filmed in Quezon province where it was always raining when they shot.

“He (Diaz) made my acting so simple and stripped down,” said Gutierrez. “I guess there’s also beauty in that. It was always misty when we shot on location. I only had my backpack when we trekked in the mountains.”

She is not planning to move somewhere else and start her career elsewhere. “I want people in other places to discover my career here in the Philippines,” Gutierrez said. “If I do get a project outside, it’s because of something I did here. Like what happened to Ms. Dolly de Leon.”

Gutierrez plays a contravida role in “Lavender Fields,” a first for her career. “In my head, I’m not a contravida role. That’s okay to me and I’m so grateful that I get to do different roles.

“So when Dreamscape pitched ‘Lavender Fields’ to me, they told me that if I get to do this, everything will come easy for me. That became a challenge for me. That’s what the likes of Jodi (Sta. Maria) or Angelica (Panganiban) or even Anne Curtis did.

“They are the artists I admire. I want to achieve that every role is something new. If I can do it, why not? This teleserye is a real challenge for me.

“Ate Hazel Orencio, who is direk Lav’s long-time producer, director and actress, she was with me in ‘Phantosmia.’ Kasama ko rin siya as one of the helpers in the Fiero mansion in ‘Dirty Linen.’ I’m just grateful that she remembered.”

Since her role in “Lavender Fields” requires action scenes for the first time, Gutierrez trained in Filipino martial arts – kali, arnis – for her character. She will essay more action scenes in her role.

Except for Edu Manzano, whom she also previously worked with in her first ABS-CBN teleserye “Marry You, Marry Me,” Gutierrez works with all the other cast members of “Lavender Fields” for the first time and that excites her endlessly.

Her mom, Lotlot de Leon, was among the cast members although she and Gutierrez don’t have scenes together.

“Maganda talaga ang role ko at mahirap sa ‘Lavender Fields’,” Gutierrez said. “I’m just honored that I am one who was chosen to be in the cast to be alongside the other actors.”

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