Life Lessons from Watching UPSTREAM’s A Girl and A Guy

At first glance, it’s easy to mistake A Girl and A Guy as a typical coming-of-age romance film sprinkled with a few risque scenes for good measure. But digging deeper into UPSTREAM’s first original film in partnership with GMovies, important stories about relationships, career, growing up, and navigating life in the middle of a pandemic were also told. Young people (and even those young at heart) can take away plenty of realizations and insights about themselves and their relationships from the film and here are just four of them:

Live at your own pace

As Raf said, “Life is not a race, but a maze.” Oftentimes, the discontent that most people feel about their lives is a result of comparing themselves to others. Just like Fiona, most of us tend to base our success with what our peers have achieved and then feel like we’re not doing enough when we realize we are not at par with what they have.

This kind of mindset is counterproductive and will only lead to insecurities you never knew you had. Instead of dwelling on other’s lives, know who you really are and remind yourself that each one of us has our own pace and timing in life – you just have to continue working hard and growing to be one step closer to your goals.

Make mistakes (and learn from them)

Young people are afraid to make mistakes due to fear of disappointing their parents and worse, themselves. However, we often forget that mistakes usually happen when one chooses to grow and go beyond their comfort zone by meeting new people, pursuing their hearts’ desires, and embracing change. So make mistakes, but remember to always learn from them and use these experiences to build a better you.

Online friends can be for keeps

In the era of social media and dating apps, meeting new people has become as easy as clicking “send” or swiping right. With the pandemic limiting us from interacting with our friends, these platforms have made it convenient to make new ones virtually.

This leads people to think that relationships and friendships formed online are just fleeting and will not withstand time and distance. While that may be true for some cases, there are also many internet friendships that transcends IRL (in real life), so don’t be afraid to make friends online. Just like in any relationship, communication is always the key for lasting connections.

You are what you love, not who loves you

Being young and falling in love is a beautiful thing, but heartbreaks can also be equally messy, especially in this generation. A Girl and A Guy reminds its viewers how their failed relationships do not define them in any way as a lover, and more importantly, as a person. No matter how many exes you have (or lack thereof), it shouldn’t say anything about how you should be viewed by others and how you view yourself.

Society has the tendency to dictate young people how and who to love based on its norms and standards. This film tells us to F with it and love whichever way and whoever person you want to.

 

A Girl and A Guy is a film directed by Erik Matti. Watch it now via upstream.ph and get your tickets through the GMovies app and website. Check out upstream.ph/faqs for more information.

 

####

Read More

What Modern Relationships Look Like According to A Girl and A Guy

ICYMI, UPSTREAM’s first original A Girl and A Guy is now available for streaming on upstream.ph in partnership with GMovies! This coming-of-age film directed by Erik Matti explores and exposes the good, the bad, and the ugly of modern relationships through the eyes of millennials and gen Zs.

The story follows Fiona (Alexa Miro), an ambitious and confident advertising production assistant who dreams of becoming a renowned filmmaker and Raf (Rob Gomez), a creative and laid back marketing associate who has the right amount of charm to wow just about every woman he meets.

As they work to find who they are and what they want to be, they get entangled with each other’s lives as well as with a handful of other people who, just like them, are young and have their own fair share of baggage. A Girl and A Guy made sure to depict modern relationships the closest it can to reality and represent the diversity of young adults through its colorful characters.

Growing up and out of love

From the onset, the film shows how adulting can muddle even the most stable of relationships. With the challenge of juggling adult responsibilities wit
h everything else that is going on, sometimes relationships don’t survive. Holding on too long to a relationship that isn’t making you happy anymore for the sake of pinagsamahan or the years that you have been together can just often lead to messy situations. Who wants that, anyway?

Keeping it casual

The pressures and expectations that come with a committed and exclusive romantic relationship are some of the reasons why millennials and gen Zs have become more keen towards casual dating. After all, it’s a great and fun way to meet new people, enjoy their company, and find out more about yourself and your preferences with less of the stress.

Hook-up culture

Casual dating has also paved the way for hook-up culture where individuals engage in one-night stands or FUBU/FWB set-ups to satisfy their sexual needs without the need for any emotional intimacy or commitment. Nowadays, people are more comfortable having sex than actually talking to each other, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But what comes after that is what the film is asking.

Finding relationships online

Casual and convenient are two words that can perfectly describe online dating. Undeniably, this concept is changing the landscape of relationships and romance among young adults especially now with the pandemic at hand. It starts with simply creating an account on a dating app you prefer, then you just swipe away among the hundreds of girls and guys on your feed, and wait for a match or matches if you’re lucky!

At the end of the day, modern romance, as complex as it may seem, is also about building genuine friendships and lasting relationships. A Girl and A Guy reminds us that no matter how different their ways can be, the younger generation is still seeking love, understanding, and fulfillment whether it’s from a romantic partner, their family and peers, their career, or even their own self.

 

A Girl and A Guy is now available for streaming on UPSTREAM. To buy your tickets, just go to GMovies. You can also check out upstream.ph/faqs for more information.

####

Read More

Reasons To Not Miss UPSTREAM’s ‘A Girl and A Guy’

Looking for something new to watch this week? UPSTREAM’s first original, A Girl and A Guy, is now available for streaming on upstream.ph, in partnership with GMovies! A brazen take on modern relationships and intimacy, the film will give its viewers an in-depth look at the dynamics at play in the oftentimes messy and complicated arena of young love and modern dating from the perspective of gen Zs and millennials.

If you aren’t intrigued yet, here are more reasons why A Girl and A Guy is definitely a must-watch for everyone.

No holds barred storytelling

Based on its trailer, it’s apparent that A Girl and A Guy isn’t afraid to show a little more skin than what most are used to, especially in a local film, but that is just the tip of the iceberg according to its director Erik Matti. During the film’s grand mediacon, Direk Erik shared that for the longest time, he wanted the local movie industry to become more casual about incorporating elements of nudity in films.

“I think we need to let go of the stigma of people taking off their clothes. This movie, A Girl and A Guy, liberated me in a way, not just because I felt there were no rules in making the movie. If it's needed in the story, why can’t we show anything?” he said in the film’s mediacon last June 18.

More than the steamy and raunchy scenes, viewers can expect an unfiltered glimpse into the reality of relationships and intimacy in today’s generation where technology has become a big factor in establishing connections with other people. Casual relationships, one night stands, hook-up culture – what really goes on in modern dating? You just have to watch and find out.

New, fresh faces

Another exciting thing to look forward to in the film is its cast composed of up and coming  talented actors who are ready to make their own mark in the industry. This was purposely done by Direk Erik to make the characters seem more like real people that will allow the audience to identify themselves better with them versus when casting already established and renowned names.

The ensemble is led by Alexa Miro and Rob Gomez who play the roles of Fiona, an ambitious advertising production staff who has big dreams in the field of filmmaking, and Raf, a charming and laid-back marketing associate who has no plans for his future, respectively. They are joined by a bunch of exciting new stars who all came from esteemed and diverse backgrounds including Pau Benitez, Candice Ramos, Rosh Barman, Sarah Holmes, Carlo Tarobal, Emilio Francisco, Chloe Reyes, Roeder Camanag, Donna Cariaga, Marina Benipayo, and Shaun Salvador.

It’s your story, one way or another

More than just characters, Fiona, Raf, and the people they meet along the way tell the stories and struggles of real individuals – a strong woman who knows what she wants, a man who is afraid of commitment, individuals who cheat with their partners, unhappy couples, creatives who have lost passion in their craft, and so much more.

Despite its main theme that revolves around gen Zs and millennials, viewers from the older generation can still relate to A Girl and A Guy because we all have been young once and being young also means falling in love, making mistakes, and learning from them, 3 things that you’ll definitely see in the movie.

A Girl and A Guy is now available for streaming on UPSTREAM. To buy your tickets, just go to GMovies. You can also check out upstream.ph/faqs for more information.

 

####

Read More