Although the filming of the highly anticipated Philippines-Ireland film co-venture “Nocebo” has yet to finish, Cebuana actress Chai Fonacier has already received praise from her co-star and French actress Eva Green.
Green admired Fonacier’s acting skills, describing her as a ‘great actress’ and an ‘incredible partner’ in their upcoming thriller directed by Irish filmmaker Lorcan Finnegan.
“My fabulous co-star, @chaifonacier and I from the film we are shooting, ‘NOCEBO’ directed by the amazing @lorcanfinnegan,” Green wrote on Instagram on April 1, sharing a photo of her with the Filipina actress.
“Chai is a truly a great actress with extraordinary depth and sensitivity and she was an incredible partner — she blew me away!” the international actress said of Fonacier.
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Now that she’s back in Manila after filming scenes in Dublin, Ireland, the 24-year-old Fonacier shared how she felt after being lauded by none other than a French star.
“Sobrang happy ako for her to say that,” she told ABS-CBN News on Wednesday, April 7, from her quarantine in a Metro Manila hotel.
She added, “Most of the time, in my acting projects, the only thing that I really want is to know if I’d done my part in realizing a creative vision, and this was more validation that I could hope for.”
Fonacier expressed her delight at her co-star’s remarks despite feeling rusty coming into the film after having very few projects in 2020 due to the pandemic.
She shared that working with such a talented artist like Green was a wonderful experience for her, adding she’s willing to do so again.
“After having very few projects throughout 2020 because of the pandemic, I’d been feeling rusty going into this one, so sobrang happy ako to hear Eva say that. She’s the loveliest person, really. It’s a great experience working with such a talented artist, I’d do it again,” said Fonacier.
It was in late February when Fonacier left the Philippines for Dublin, Ireland, where they began shooting for the psychological thriller.
The film is written by Garret Shanley and produced by international producers Emily Leo, Brunella Cocchigglia, with Filipino producers Bradley Liew and Bianca Balbuena.
Fonacier portrays a Filipina caregiver who will use folk healing to help Green’s character, a fashion designer battling a mysterious illness.
Apart from Green, Fonacier also stars with British actor Mark Strong, who plays the husband of Green’s character.
“Nocebo” will begin filming its sequences in Manila this summer, following the completion of the film’s shooting in Ireland.
“Plan is May pero baka June because of the travel bans and strict lockdowns,” Philippines co-producer Bianca Balbuena told ABS-CBN News.
Balbuena expressed her pride for her province colleague, claiming that Filipino talent is unrivaled.
“We’re both from Cebu. I’ve always pushed for Cebuano and other talent to be more exposed to local and international film co-productions because we want the world to know that Filipino talent is unparalleled. Very happy that our own Chai Fonacier has been well received by the Irish production team, by Eva Green and Mark Strong,” she said.
She also shared her confidence in Fonacier’s talent, noting that the Cebuana actress has already earned foreign invitations.
“She owned the part, she studied her character, that’s why I was confident she’s going to nail it. She has also received some meeting invitations from foreign agents so hopefully, it will all turn out well,” she added.
Previously, Balbuena disclosed to ABS-CBN News that several local actresses auditioned for the role in “Nocebo,” but Fonacier was the ‘perfect fit.’
Fonacier is best known for her performances in films Miss Bulalacao (2015) and Patay na si Hesus (2017), for which she received Best Supporting Actress awards. She also starred in critically acclaimed local films such as Pauwi Na (2016), Respeto (2017), and Born Beautiful (2019).
Other local filmmakers are also working on Nocebo as part of the writing and production design department.
According to Wikipedia, the term “nocebo” refers to the effect that occurs when a patient’s negative expectations about a treatment cause the treatment to be more negative than it would be otherwise.
