Newcomer Stefanie Arianne is Cannes-bound

The Japanese-Filipina actress stars in Plan 75 competing in Un Certain Regard

The ĸlms of the official selection 2022 of the Festival de Cannes is out and in the Un Certain Regard, we will be watching for Japanese-Filipina talent Stefanie Arianne in the ĸlm Plan 75.

Stefanie’s parents are Ryuhei and Maria Neva Akashi.“My dad is Japanese, and my mom’s ethnicity is Filipino-Spanish-Chinese,” says the 27-year-old actress-model in an email interview. “I grew up with my extended family in the Philippines. When I was born, my late aunt requested to have me stay in the Philippines because she was so fond of me and it helped prolong her life.” A lola’s girl, Stefanie has lived in Parañaque, Laguna, Quezon City, and Cainta before settling in Kanto Region, Japan when she turned 18 years old to pursue her dream of becoming an actress.

How did she discover acting? “My grandmother said it came naturally to me,” she muses. The former student of the Cainta Catholic College would reenact scenes from her favorite movies Maging Sino Ka Man and High

School Musical. “I saw myself as shy and reserved throughout my childhood, but I gradually emerged from the shadows of my dreams and into the spotlight,” she muses.

In her teens, she was part of Anne Curtis and

Sam Milby’s fans’ club called MASENNA. “Being part of it allowed me to visit television sets and solidiĸed my resolve to not be on the sidelines, but at the front and center of the stage,” exclaims the parttime English teacher.

Plan 75 stars the renowned 80-year-old actress Chieko Baisho as Michi who needs to come into terms with Japan’s government program that encourages senior citizens to submit themselves to voluntary euthanasia. It was shot on location in Kanagawa, Chiba, and Tokyo during the worldwide pandemic

Stefanie plays Maria, an OFW in Japan. Due to Japan’s borders being closed during the Covid-19 pandemic, the production team decided to cast locally. “The day I got the news, I was assisting a customer in the cookie shop I worked at,” she recalls. Her watch buzzed with the message, “You got the role.” “I was trying hard not to burst out crying in front of the customer,” added the Melancholic (2018) supporting actress.

Co-producer Alemberg Ang noticed her Aussie-Kiwi accent in their ĸrst table reading. “I worked for a New Zealand cookie shop in Tokyo for four years,” she explains. “I just adopted the accent naturally because I worked with a lot of Australians and Kiwis back then.”

Alemberg made her watch the movies of Angel Locsin and Angelica Panganiban to make sure she sounded authentic. An accent coach was also hired on the set.

“I made a rule for myself to not speak in English one hour before my scenes to make sure none of my original accent would slip through,” she recounts. To feel and experience the deep emotions needed for the Filipina OFW, she made a Spotify playlist speciĸcally for Maria’s character. “I would constantly listen to it on the commute to the set,” says Stefanie.

The Japan-France-Philippines co-production is written and directed by ĸrst-time director Chie Hayakawa. How was it working with the Japanese woman director? “During the audition and ĸlming, I loved how authentic and caring she was,” says the Oh Lucy! (2017) actress. “She would genuinely ask questions to get to know me and the Filipino culture.”

The director knew exactly what she wanted and gave Stefanie clear instructions. “She is very inspiring and drove my passion even more,” says Stefanie.

Stefanie’s motivation is to represent people of color who are aspiring actors. “We go through a lot of rejections or misinterpretations to a point where you’re like, ‘What’s the point in all of this?’” she ponders. “In my role in Plan 75, I hope to reach the stars in Hollywood and continue to be part of inspirational ĸlms while also advancing diverse representation in media as a Japanese-Filipina.”

Whenever she would give up, she goes back to the Japanese and Filipino values of persistence and passion. “My family in the Philippines has always told me, ‘Kaya mo yan! Ikaw pa! Tigas kaya ng ulo mo (You can do it! You are stubborn!),’” she says. “They always believe that I can survive anything.”

Also, living in Japan as an actor, Stefanie has learned to work with an international team. “So being adaptable and open to different circumstances and cultures helped a lot too,” she says. Her tip for the Cannes audience who will watch the 112-minute drama ĸlm: “Bring tissues.”

Other cast members include Hayato Isomura, Taka Takao, and Yumi Kawai. The executive producers are Keisuke Konishi (Happinet Phantom Studios), Eiko Mizuno-Gray (Loaded Films), Mizue Kunizane (Dongyu Club), Frederic Corvez (Urban Factory), and Wilfredo Manalang (Fusee).

‘I made a rule for myself to not speak in English one hour before my scenes to make sure none of my original accent would slip through.’