Janine Gutierrez on What Led to Her Dream Project With Lav Diaz

"A dream come true," actress Janine Gutierrez captioned a YouTube Shorts video that captured the exact moment she found out she was invited to the 81st Venice International Film Festival for the premiere of her film, Phantosmia, by director Lav Diaz.

Janine, who was jumping for joy with her sister upon receiving the happy news, also shared a clip of her reading the invitation letter from Italian film critic and Venice Film Festival director Alberto Barbera.

They received the invitation letter last July; fast forward to September, and Janine has found herself exploring Venice, Italy for the first time, with the added pride of representing the Philippines at the world's oldest film festival.

Janine graced the event first in a bespoke black creation by Inno Sotto then in a powder blue dress by Vania Romoff.

In an exclusive interview with Metro.Style, Janine said it's always been her dream to work with director Lav Diaz. "I also really, really enjoy doing films apart from series because they're so different," she says. Lav is an award-winning filmmaker whose achievements include awards from the Venice International Film Festival: Best Film (Horizons) for Melancholia in 2008, Golden Lion for The Woman Who Left in 2016, and Best Director (Horizons) for Genus, Pan in 2020. 

Back when she was still working on the series Dirty Linen, it so happened that she was castmates with Hazel Orencio who's part of Direk Lav's team. "I kept telling Ate Hazel nu'ng Dirty Linen, 'Ate, if ever you have anything, please let me know, I'll do anything. I just really want to do a film with you guys.' And I'm so grateful kasi hindi niya nakalimutan 'yung pagmamakaawa ko sa kanya," Janine recalls, laughing. 

Janine, who's so passionate about her craft, gets excited at the idea of trying something new. Janine was thrilled to have had the chance to experience what it's like to be on a set led by Direk Lav. "It was locked in and his crew was such a small crew," she shares. "So, sobrang ibang experience naman from a serye set. Sobrang tahimik, sobrang intimate."

Phantosmia is an olfactory hallucination wherein one smells something that is not actually there. Of this unique and interesting plot, Janine tells Metro.Style, "Phantosmia is starring Ronnie Lazaro and it's about a retired scout ranger who is experiencing 'phantosmia' which is like a post-traumatic stress disorder symptom where you're smelling something that's not really there, caused by past traumas. And then, I'm one of the characters, si Reyna, who he encounters in his journey to get better." 

Phantosmia is written, directed, and produced by Lav Diaz, with co-producers Paul Soriano and Mark Victor.

With Phantosmia as the only Filipino film selected to be screened out of competition at the 81st Venice Film Festival, Janine feels extremely grateful to play a part in introducing works by Filipinos to a global audience. "I was so, so excited. Kasi super dream ko talaga e," Janine recalls what she felt when she found out about Phantosmia's participation at the festival. "My goal has always been not to be famous or anything. I just really want a good filmography and to be able to play good characters. One of the exciting things about that is when our shows like Dirty Linen or Lavender Fields, 'pag napapanood sa labas ng Pilipinas at naipapakita natin kung ano ba 'yung mga kuwentong importante sa'tin, like what we can do here in our industry. To be included in the oldest film festival and one of the most prestigious film festivals with a Filipino film is… dream ko lang siya."

Another dream come true for Janine is to put herself in the shoes of a completely new character. In the new series Lavender Fields, Janine plays the role of Iris Buenavidez-de Vera, her first-ever kontrabida character. The said series from ABS-CBN Studios and Dreamscape Entertainment is currently the no. 1 TV show on Netflix Philippines. Lavender Fields also stars Jodi Sta. Maria, Jericho Rosales, and Jolina Magdangal-Escueta. 

"I'm so lucky to always get interesting roles. I get excited when something is difficult for me and I'm not sure kung magagawa ko ba," Janine reflects. With the enthusiasm and willingness to keep learning and growing in her craft, she's truly well on her way to making more of her dreams come true while contributing more remarkable work for the Philippine entertainment industry. 

Photos by @antheabueno (Venice Film Festival) and from @janinegutierrez