Bela Padilla and Carlo Aquino team up again in “A Special Memory,” a moving romance from Ricky Lee and Jerry Lopez Sineneng about love tested by time and fading memories.
Bela Padilla believes her latest film could be one of her defining roles.
She steps into the shoes of a woman battling Alzheimer’s, and she admits there’s a lingering question in her mind: did she do justice to the character?
“Ang gaganda ng mga dialogue, kaya naiisip ko kung nabibigyan ko ba ng justice,” she shared.
A poetic reunion for Bela Padilla and Carlo Aquino
Titled “A Special Memory” and penned by National Artist Ricky Lee under the direction of Jerry Lopez Sineneng, the film marks Bela’s reunion with Carlo Aquino, years after their 2018 romance in “Meet Me in St. Gallen.”
For Padilla, working again with Aquino felt effortless.
“Working with Carlo was a breeze,” she said. “We’re very comfortable with each other, and he’s very professional. That alone, game na ako.”
Aquino echoed the sentiment, praising Padilla’s generosity on set. “Dahil nga very giving siya, she makes me feel more confident to give more of myself as well as an actor.”
“I think for me this is one of films that I would like to say is a classic because, obviously I have Direk Jerry and a National Artist, Sir Rickey Lee,” Bela pointed out. “It feels very special, it feels more mature, too grounded, and the script–it’s poetic.”
Finding love through the lens of early-onset Alzheimer’s
In the film, Padilla portrays Sandra, a fashion designer whose impulsive spirit conceals lingering heartbreak. She falls deeply in love with Dindo, played by Aquino, a construction foreman grounded in quiet devotion.
Their relationship is shaken when Sandra is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Determined not to burden the man she loves, she chooses to admit herself to a nursing home, shielding him from witnessing her fading memories.
Dindo, though shattered, respects her choice. He visits often, gently reintroducing himself and rebuilding their bond piece by piece.
Aquino hints at the emotional weight audiences should expect. “May nakita akong post na kapag nauulanan daw si Bela, alam mong mananakit so Tawang tawa ako kasi totoo naman din,” he said.
“E maraming ulan dito?” Padilla quipped.
“Ang daming ulan dito at basa talaga kami dito. Isa ‘yon sa mga highlights ng pelikula. Pero, gan’on naman talaga kapag nagmamahal ka, may point na masasaktan ka pa rin talaga. Sa pelikula, sina Sandra at si Dindo ay nagmamahalan, so masasaktan at masasaktan talaga sila dito,” Aquino shared.
“Mapanakit po talaga ang pelikula, but I think it will enlighten us more about the power of true love,” Padilla said.
Also starring Lotlot de Leon, Joel Torre, Yayo Aguila, Jaime Fabregas, Phoebe Walker and Paolo Gumabao, “A Special Memory” opens in cinemas March 11.
Mapanakit po talaga ang pelikula, but I think it will enlighten us more about the power of true love.
Bela Padilla
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