Alessandra de Rossi leads the Filipino cast of the award-winning film “Watch List” directed by American-Indian Ben Rekhi.
Alessandra de Rossi, star of the hit romantic comedy film “Kita Kita” and Lav Diaz’s award-winning “Hele“, portrays in Watch List a woman whose husband was killed, leaving her with the responsibility of a breadwinner and protector of her family.
The film was already recognized by several international film festivals including Deauville American Film Festival, Seattle International Film Festival, Bahamas International Film Festival, International Film Festival of India, Nashville Film Festival and Mill Valley Film Festival.
The film also won an award for Most Disturbing Fiction Film at the 2020 Tournai Ramdam Festival in Belgium in January.
Rekhi said that he got inspired to do the film after he saw a picture of a mother looking at her dead husband who became a victim of extra-judicial killing. He shared “I became restless after seeing that picture. I became so obsessed with it I decided to do my fifth film with that subject in mind.”
It was for that reason that he decided to cast Filipino actors, which he deemed to be an ideal cast who not only fits each role but also can carry depth of emotion.
The American-Indian director described Watch List as “a film that speaks a universal language on what the truth is.” He added that the film is also “a window to the real human condition” as he holds true to the belief that a film is an authentic window to the human condition and that everything should therefore look and feel real.”
Ben Rekhi explained how the film is, in every aspect, Filipino.
Rekhi cast Filipino actors Alessandra de Rossi, Jake Macapagal, Art Acuña, and Micko Laurente.
Rica Arevalo, a Filipina, worked as Rekhi’s researcher for Watch List.
Among the people with whom Rekhi collaborated for the film include award-winning Filipino designer Ericson Navarro who joined the team of executive producer Anjay Nagpal, who was co-executive producer of “Joker”, and international cinematographer Daniella Nowitz.
Watch List started showing in Philippine cinemas on February 19, 2020.
Other oversees shows or movies which featured Filipino actors include Spiderman’s best buddy Jacob Batalon who also starred in the Netflix movie “Let It Snow”, Mark Dacascos as “Zero” in John Wick Chapter 3 movie, and Fil-Am acapella band The Filharmonic in Pitch Perfect 2.
SEND CHEERS in the comments below to the team of Watch List for recognizing and working with Filipino talents like Alessandra de Rossi!
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