We have seen the trailer where two different faces with two different minds and natures are trapped in one body. And we’re witnesses to the avalanche of memes that has become the hottest thing on Internet right now. That’s the charm of Kara Mia for you.
But have you ever wondered how the team behind the series, which premieres tonight, shoots the difficult scenes that involve two faces but just one body?
“It’s difficult, I’m telling you,” Mika deal Cruz told Manila Standard in an interview. “Before we tried using chroma key but the effects didn’t look natural so our director decided to use multi-cameras and put me and Barbie Forteza in one place whenever we shoot our scenes. Even if it’s just my voice I have to be in the same exact spot where Barbie is, and our director just uses camera angle to make it look believable and natural.”
“And there are times that I have to carry Mika on my back. From our gestures to wardrobe, we have to be very technical about it. There are times that we can’t move when shooting our scenes. It takes a lot of patience, effort and teamwork from the cast, director, director of photography. It’s really challenging” Barbie added immediately.
A dramatic tale of two sisters facing literally and figuratively good and evil. The fantasy drama series is based on a true story from India and an English urban legend in Great Britain.
Kara (Barbie) and Mia (Mika) were born with Disprosopus or craniofacial duplication, a congenital defect where they have two faces but share only one body. Until today, the origin of this condition, which is one of the rarest malformations in humans, is still unexplained, whether it is mythical or medical.
Kara’s face is in front, while Mia’s face is at the back of their head. Little do they know, they are probably the children of a mystical being, an engkanto, who watches over them as they grow up.
But even if they are “one” person, the two sisters cannot be more different. Kara is kind, jolly, smart, and aspired to become a doctor to continue what their mother wasn’t able to achieve. She believes that this “defect” is what makes her unique and special, and she loves her sister Mia with all her heart. Mia, on the other hand, is the mischievous one. She is lazy, pessimistic, and dreams of being an actress. She is envious of Kara and wants nothing more than to be her own person.
Featured in vital roles in Kara and Mia’s lives are highly-respected and award-winning actors and actresses in the industry: Carmina Villarroel as Aya, the doting mother of the sisters; and John Estrada as Arthur, Aya’s husband and the father of Kara and Mia.
Adding a dose of enchantment to the series is Mike Tan as Iswal, the mischievous engkanto who lives in the forest and is enthralled by Aya’s beauty. He will do everything in his power to be close to her.
Also starring in this endearing masterpiece are sought-after leading men Jak Roberto as Boni, the lola’s boy and a loving gentleman who likes Kara but captures Mia’s heart; and Paul Salas as Chino, Boni’s handsome and well-off cousin who steals Kara’s heart.
Completing the stellar cast are Liezel Lopez, Althea Ablan, Arthur Solinap, Karenina Haniel, April Gustilo, Alicia Alonzo and Gina Pareño.
An all original creation of the GMA Entertainment Group, Kara Mia is a powerful and dramatic representation of how good and evil are every individual’s two natures, of how we make the good triumph over the other, and how love will time and again conquer all.
Under the helm of esteemed director Dominic Zapata, the series also showcases the scenic beauty of the City of Bacolod, where the story takes place and some of the important scenes were shot.
Catch the much awaited premiere of Kara Mia beginning tonight on GMA Telebabad.
Kapuso viewers from across the globe can also catch their favorite Kapuso shows via GMA’s international channels GMA Pinoy TV, GMA Life TV, and GMA News TV International. For the program guide, visit www.gmapinoytv.com.
