Gerald Anderson and Julia Barretto Teams Up For Between Maybes

It has been the fantasy of many to let go and leave everything behind in search of something different from the noise of daily life. In Between Maybes, Black Sheep wanted to bring life Jason Paul Laxaman’s story about two people who found peace in the most unlikeliest places in each other’s company.

For the first time on the big screen, Gerald Anderson is paired with Up Julia Barretto in a film that’s shot on location in Saga, Japan. After his first project with Black Sheep, last year’s To Love Some Buddy, filmmaker Jason Paul Laxamana wanted to create a story that reflected the serenity  and calm nature of the location.

In Betwen Maybes, Julia Barretto plays Hazel, an actress experiencing troubles in her career and not having control of her life. Feeling lost and wanting to escape, she books a random flight and eventually ends up in the secluded prefecture of Saga, Japan. There she finds an unexpected confindante in Louie (Gerald Anderson), who isolated himself after experiencing heartbreak from his family.

The two develop a functional relationship. Hazel ask Louie to check on her as she’s not used to being on her own. While Louie finds Hazel’s company and noise amusing, as it’s break from his simple world lacking human connection. Amidst the silence and isolation, Hazel and Louie find comfort in each other as they both needed it at that certain point in their lives. But knowing how far apart their worlds are, they can only hold on to their belief that some encounters are special because of how fleeting they are.

Both Anderson and Barretto went into the project with such admiration for the roles that they are portraying and they both had a profound connection to their characters. Julia’s recent trip to South America was a means to take a step back and recalibrate from her busy schedule while Gerald felt that isolation often feels like a good choice just to get away from his life, even if only for a while.

The two actors underwent through series of workshops with Laxamana and shot the majority of the film location in Japan during the bloom of the Sakura trees. Although Saga is a quiet prefecture with a small population, the serene nature of the place lends another layer to the story of Hazel and Louie. A brand new version of Rico Blanco’s hit song “Your Universe” is created specifically for the film by Acel, the original singer of Moonstar88.

Audiences seeking for an escape might need a dose of Black Sheep and Jason Paul Laxamana’s refreshing take on fleeting romances and little moments that linger forever. After the loud noises of the election season and the endless superhero brawls on multiplexes, maybe it’s time to experience the beauty of Between Maybes. The film opens in cinemas nationwide starting May 15.