Warning: This article contains spoilers.
The Hello, Love franchise continues on with new film, Hello, Love, Again, the sequel to Filipino record-breaking film, Hello, Love Goodbye (2019). The original film tells the story of Joy (played by Kathryn Bernardo), a Filipina domestic helper, and Ethan (played by Alden Richards), a Filipino bartender, who experience a whirlwind love story in Hong Kong. In Hello, Love, Again, the two cross paths once again several years later, but in Canada this time. Will the reunion between the two be able to rekindle their love, or will it lead to one last goodbye?
In a time when many in the Philippines are struggling to make enough money, many young women head overseas to places like Hong Kong to make a living and send money home. This was the case for Joy, a nurse who worked as a domestic helper to help support her siblings and father back in the Philippines. There are also individuals who are more financially privileged, working overseas just to earn permanent residency. This was how it was for Ethan, a bartender known for his playboy ways among the Filipino community in Hong Kong. When the two first meet, they find themselves in immediate disagreement regarding just about everything. But, as they say, there’s a fine line between love and hate. As the two develop feelings for one another, Joy reveals that her goal is to move to Canada, so she can continue being a nurse and bring her whole family over for better opportunities. With Ethan firm in his decision to stay in Hong Kong and Joy firm in hers to pursue her dreams in Canada, the two decide to make it work with a long distance relationship. But, after a short visit to Canada from Ethan that turns into an extended stay due to COVID-19, the two find themselves at a crossroads and eventually break up.
Hello Love, Again jumps to 2024, when Ethan ends up moving to Canada for better opportunities to support his family. As fate brings Joy and Ethan together once more, it’s up to them to decide how their love story will end. Ahead of the film’s U.S. theatrical run, Asia Blooming spoke with Director Cathy Garcia-Sampana about the film, its conception, and more.
On creating the sequel, the director revealed that it wasn’t planned from the start, but that it was something she herself yearned for. “Back when making Hello, Love, Goodbye, it was just a thought of making a film about international workers, and how different they are now from how we knew them before,” she began. “When [the movie] was shown, there was an immediate clamor for a part two, but of course, we just thought ‘Oh, maybe in time. I, for one, would want to know, though.'” She continued, “Suddenly, one day, management asked me [about making a sequel]. So, I thought, ‘What better time than now?’ It made me so excited to be able to tell the world what happened with Ethan and Joy.”
When Ethan appears, there isn’t any hint of the couple’s parting, offering an attention-grabbing red herring from the start. Seeing Ethan triggers memories for Joy, which reveals the backstory of how they are at present. Jumping between past and present time, the film features seamless transitions through slow panning shots and sustained music across scenes. Additionally, the combination of styling to make the actors look younger and use of clips from the first film helped create smooth flashbacks.
There’s a lot going on in the film, including heaps of common romance tropes. Somehow, though, they propel Joy and Ethan’s story in a way that doesn’t come across as forced or overused. There’s angst as the two pine for each other while having fears about diving back into a relationship after ending things. There’s fluff, as the two finally give in to their desires and enjoy their time together again. There’s the jealous ex trope, as that’s what reignites Joy’s interest in Ethan, and there’s a love triangle, as Joy’s new friend Uno continuously offers help and attention to Joy. There’s also the fake dating trope, as Joy offers to marry Ethan to help him earn permanent residence in Canada. Luckily for fans, Garcia-Sampana revealed that she wanted to make sure this story had a true happy ending: “I always want my audience to leave the cinemas with a happy heart and with a happy ending, but that did not happen in part one. I think people were still happy for Joy in part one, but I just don’t want to break people’s hearts anymore, and I didn’t want to cry for them again.”
While it’s obvious neither Joy or Ethan had ever truly gotten over one another, the plot of this film focuses more on the two falling back in love with each other, after the two of them have had time to grow, mature, and learn to love themselves wholeheartedly. From their younger days running around Hong Kong together to finally willing to settle down with one another to build a life together in Canada, this sequel was the perfect way to follow along the ups and downs of Joy and Ethan’s relationship.
Following the success of the first film, Hello, Love, Again is gearing up to premiere in theaters worldwide. For a film made by a full Filipino team that revolves around an inherently Filipino love story, this is something director Garcia-Sampana never imagined. “I’m very, very thankful. I’m a Filipino, and I love for people to know the Filipino culture, how we love, how we see things, and how we live life. Love is universal, but we all approach it differently, depending on nationality and ethnicity. I would love to share with the world how Filipinos love, and how we do things,” she shared. “We are very friendly, and this is how we love. I’m very happy that the world is welcoming us, and listening to the kind of love we offer.”
Hello Love, Again will hit U.S. theaters on November 13. To celebrate the movie’s international theatrical releases, main cast members Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards will even be visiting screenings across Los Angeles, Toronto, and Dubai later this month.
