CEBU, PHILIPPINES — A handful of Filipino queer films will be making their way to the big screen for Pride Month, including the first Bisaya Girls’ Love (GL) movie, “A Quiet Bloom,” which will premiere on June 21 at SM Seaside Cinema.
Headlining the film are Victoria Leslie Ingram and Leigh Sunga, who play Iris and Hyacinth — women in their 20s who find love for each other while discovering who they are. The film uses flowers and their roots as a metaphor for what intertwines the two lovers and what sets them apart.
“A Quiet Bloom” is produced by Version 510 Productions, in association with Wolfpack Productions and BisayaFlix.
Yamie Cerna, who wrote the script and is making her directorial debut, told The FREEMAN: “I wanted the story to carry the spirit of a coming-of-age romantic comedy. I was drawn to the idea of two people leading completely different lives, existing in separate worlds, until fate somehow intertwines their paths. From there, the heart of the story became watching how they navigate that unexpected connection and how it changes them moving forward.”
Co-directing the film with Yamie is her brother, Drae, who is also making his directorial debut with her and is excited to helm this project as a fan of GL stories.
“I was immediately excited about it because it would be great to direct something very close to my heart as my first feature-length film. But I really asked Yamie to co-direct it with me because I believe this film also needed a woman’s perspective. Luckily, our visions always aligned, and we were able to pull it off,” he said.
Yamie said it was a dream come true to work with her brother on a Cebuano film that allows queer local voices and experiences to take center stage.
“It feels incredibly fulfilling to be able to throw our hat into the ring for such a meaningful movement, especially in our mother tongue. Cebuanos and the wider Bisaya community have long sought greater visibility in mainstream media, and the same can be said for queer stories — particularly lesbian narratives. Being able to champion both through ‘A Quiet Bloom’ felt deeply important and very close to my heart,” she said.
Ingram said of her character’s journey in the film: “Iris starts off on a journey of self-acceptance and finding love. As she goes through that journey, she faces circumstances that compel her to step out of her comfort zone. And that, in turn, affects how she gets along with others and her family.”
She added, “That’s a very human experience that I definitely can relate to in terms of facing uncertainties in my personal life and trying to figure out how to get to the other side without losing myself in the process.”
Meanwhile, Sunga found Hyacinth’s story close to home, since she is a florist like her character. “Playing Hyacinth felt somehow parallel to my life. She is a florist and free-spirited, unbothered by her environment. But she heavily struggles with focus, discipline, and running the cafe passed down by her parents.”
Sunga, who is based in Manila, especially relates to her character’s discovery of displaying symptoms of ADHD, as she had suspected she might have it before filming. During production, Ingram and their co-actress Marisha Borres noticed the symptoms, giving her the push to seek a diagnosis after filming wrapped.
“Being on set held up a mirror to my reality. There were scenes where it just clicked, and I realized I was acting out my actual daily struggles,” she remarked.
When the filmmakers paired Ingram and Sunga after the auditions, they found the perfect match, as both of them brought a sense of truth to their characters and drew from their own experiences, resulting in strong on-screen chemistry.
“What makes Victoria and Leigh perfect for these characters is the truth they bring to them…it’s such a delightful twist of fate that their personalities mirror so much of their characters’. From their first time reading for their respective parts, they delivered the lines exactly as I had imagined them while writing. It made the decision remarkably easy,” Yamie said.
The film was shot over 11 days across locations in Cebu, including TOPS Cebu, Mactan-Cebu International Airport, Aisle of Medellin, Club Kontiki Diving Resort, and Cafe Jo by Azzure Heights.
“For a small-budget indie film, we had to make the most of the days available to us, so pre-production was very important,” Drae said. “All the details, locations, looks, and equipment had to be planned out. There were setbacks and delays, but overall, filming actually went smoothly. Everyone in our cast and crew had fun, and it was a relief that everyone genuinely enjoyed the process.”
One memorable day on set involved Joan Flores, who plays Iris’ mother, Rosa — an emotionally charged scene set during a religious gathering. Drae remarked, “We knew we had to handle the scene with the utmost care, and we really had to dedicate an entire shooting day just to pull it off.”
Ingram’s favorite scene is one featured in the film’s teaser, where Iris and Hyacinth share a conversation by the seaside. For her, it reveals much about who the characters are.
“It was subtle but had a lot of layers. Their perspectives about the ocean perfectly capture how each of them views the world and themselves, and it also gives the audience a glimpse into who Iris and Hyacinth are as individuals,” she said.
Beyond telling a love story, the sibling directors and the leads hope “A Quiet Bloom” resonates with Cebuano queer audiences, who rarely see their experiences reflected on screen, especially in stories set in their hometown.
“Everyone may not experience the exact same challenges that the characters go through, but the film explores situations that any human being can relate to: being a secret, not being proud of who you are, dealing with work problems, navigating family differences, and facing rejection. These are the conversations we wanted to have,” Drae said.
Sunga hopes the film also sparks conversations about the realities of being in a relationship while still not coming out.
“We cannot force people out of the closet. Regardless of their age, and even with how progressive our times are now, we cannot force anyone because we all have different situations and different family dynamics,” she said, stressing the importance of communication and understanding between partners navigating different circumstances.
For Ingram, the film serves as a reminder that hope and love can endure despite challenges. She said, “I hope that the audience would be reminded through this film that though the world is harsh, love, in its many forms, will always find its way to bloom.”
Yamie shares a similar hope for audiences leaving the cinema. “I know firsthand that being queer in a society shaped by beliefs that often ridicule or dismiss us can be incredibly difficult.
While I certainly wanted the film to hold a mirror up to those realities, I also wanted it to offer something more,” she said.
“My hope was to create a space where queer people could feel seen, understood, and safe — even if only for an hour and a half. If audiences leave the cinema carrying even a little more hope, comfort, or understanding than they walked in with, then I believe we’ve done our job.”
| Written by Januar Junior Aguja/VAB
