Angelica Panganiban took a nostalgic look back on her journey making Unmarry, one of the official entries of this year's Metro Manila Film Festival.
On Instagram, the actress shared behind-the-scenes photos from the film’s shoot, recalling some of the most memorable moments on set. Angelica revealed that by their third day of filming, she and co-lead star Zanjoe Marudo were already tackling an emotionally heavy scene.
She also paid tribute to the actresses she had the chance to work with, expressing both admiration and awe.
"I got to work with Solenn (Heussaff)," she relayed. "Then the Eugene Domingo. May personal critic ka sa set (Hirap ha?)," she added humorously.
Angelica also recalled being starstruck working alongside Shamaine Buencamino, who played her mother in the film. "Tapos nanay ko pa si Ms. Shamaine, muntik akong lamunin ng lupa," she wrote.
The actress went on to share a backstory of a bar scene she filmed, revealing how it pushed her as a performer.
"Pero binuhay ako ni Lord para sa scene na 'to. Bar scene, pinaulit sa'kin ni direk J (Jeffrey Jeturian), what I did sa 1st take. Yan reaction namin," she said, referring to a photo of the cast and director smiling as they reviewed the footage.
She ended her post by praising the film's director, calling the project a work of art. "Here we are, we made you a piece of art. and he is the visionary (pertaining to director Jeffrey Jeturian)," she remarked.
UnMarry is Angelica's big screen comeback following the 2021 movie Love or Money. The movie centers on a couple navigating the complexities of their annulment.
Angelica plays Celine, a woman going through the process of annulling her marriage to her husband Stephen, portrayed by Tom Rodriguez.
“Hindi naman pini-push nung movie ‘yung annulment. Na parang ‘pag napanuod mo o nabasa mo, gaganahan kang gawin ‘yun. Hindi siya ganun. Nagkukuwento lang siya, and ‘yung kuwento ng buhay ni Celine at ni Ivan, doon talaga siya napunta,“ she stated during the press conference as previously reported by PUSH ABS-CBN.
The actress shared that the film’s message deeply resonated with her, describing the project as something she felt called to do.
"Noong nabasa ko 'yung script, para siyang calling. Na parang kung sa akin ito ibinibigay, kailangan ko itong panindigan. Kailangan ko maging boses ng mga babae, ng kahit na sino na may pinagdadaanan, ng freedom nila. Kasi naniniwala ako na ang freedom, deserve nating lahat kapag hinihingi na talaga ng pagkatao mo," she remarked.
Angelica Panganiban on why she could not turn down her role in UnMarry: 'Para siyang calling'
In an interview back in November, Angelica opened up about the adjustments that she had during their early days of shooting.
"Of course, hindi maiwasan kabahan, parang nangangapa sa umpisa dahil nag-iba talaga yung takbo ng buhay eh. Naging mas totoo eh. Ang dami kong naramdamang totoo lang sa life sa past three years sa buhay ko so nung babalik ka sa mga make believe and sa kumbaga, may mga emotions kang hinahalungkat, kakaibang experience pa rin talaga siya. High pa rin naman. Ang sarap pa rin sa pakiramdam kapag nagagawa mo ang isang bagay na you are very passionate about. But at the end of the day, pagod but fulfilled ang pakiramdam," she recounted.