Director defends “I’mPerfect” stars Krystel Go and Earl Amaba against heartless online comments and disrespect.
“I’mPerfect” made history. But for director Sigrid Andrea Bernardo, celebrating that success has become painful.
In an emotional post, Bernardo hit back at people who continue to reduce the film’s actors with Down syndrome to their disabilities—even after they proved themselves on one of Philippine cinema’s biggest stages.
“I’m scared to celebrate my own actors,” she wrote.
The romance drama emerged as Best Picture at the 51st Metro Manila Film Festival in 2025. Krystel Go won Best Actress, while the cast received the Special Jury Prize for Best Ensemble.
Now, Go and leading man Earl Jonathan Amaba, who both have Down syndrome, are nominated for Best Actress and Best Actor at the 49th Gawad Urian. Bernardo also said “I’mPerfect” is being considered as a contender for the Philippines’ entry to the Oscars.
But the recognition has also brought vicious comments.
Bernardo shared remarks questioning why an actor with Down syndrome should win over a veteran actress, accusing Go of receiving a “pity vote” and claiming the actors were simply playing themselves. Some used derogatory slurs against people with intellectual disabilities.
“Nakaka… Putangina,” Bernardo wrote.
For the director, such comments erase the work her actors put into the film.
Bernardo said Go and Amaba had only two months to prepare. They didn’t simply memorize lines. They had to learn the mechanics of filmmaking—continuity, marks, eyelines, camera limits, sound, blocking and lighting—while repeating scenes, movements and emotions across multiple takes.
The production also featured other actors with Down syndrome and performers with autism, cerebral palsy and other disabilities.
“We wanted them to represent themselves to show their abilities, not their disabilities,” Bernardo said.
What hurt the director even more was realizing the attacks seemed to affect her more than her actors.
“They’ve heard these things their whole lives,” she wrote.
For Go and Amaba, what mattered was finally seeing themselves on the big screen—not as diagnoses or people audiences were supposed to pity.
They were actors. Go was playing Jessica. Amaba was playing Jiro.
Bernardo said audiences are free to criticize the film, her direction, its script and even their performances. What she refuses to accept is dismissing their work simply because they have disabilities.
“Hindi awa ang pinaghirapan nila. Trabaho. Tapang. Talento.”
“I didn’t cast them out of pity. I cast them because I saw actors. I believed they could do the job. And they fucking did.”
Her message to audiences was direct: see the actor before the disability.
“Don’t give them pity. Give them the same RESPECT you give every other actor.”
READ:
Why ‘I’mPerfect’ isn’t just an MMFF film but a correction to Philippine cinema
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