Did You Know? Jodi Sta. Maria Worked as an Entertainer in Japan to Prepare for Her New Movie

Jodi Sta. Maria returns to the big screen with Midnight Girls, a new drama directed by Irene Emma Villamor. In the film, she's joined by co-stars Sanya Lopez, Jane Oineza, and Loisa Andalio as a quartet of Filipina entertainers stationed in Nagoya, Japan. The story required the actresses to step into the shoes of OFWs who make a living from performing at bars or an omise.

In past interviews, Jodi, on behalf of her castmates, shared that they partook in a three-day immersion to better understand what these women go through. As it turns out, the Japanese clientele had no idea they were actresses preparing for a movie shoot. "The only thing they knew was that we were newcomers, mga bago kaming salta, mga bagong 'babae,'" she shared.

To effectively play a veteran hostess, Jodi had the idea of actually working in an omise before the cameras rolled. This endeavor was supported by her fellow stars Sanya, Jane, and Loisa. "We spent three nights at an omise, where we worked. Nobody among the Japanese clients who went there knew who we were or why we were there," she narrates.

"We had to show up and line up. At pipili ang Hapon kung sino sa amin ang gusto niya maka-table. There was a part there where you really had to 'entertain' them, kaya lang ang thick talaga ng language barrier," Jodi adds. She thanks the "mamas" at the bar for helping them get through their shifts.

In a recent Instagram post, she revealed that she actually went to Nagoya on an entertainer visa. "Sinabihan pa ako ng immigration officer, 'You go home after three months,' to which I replied 'Hai! Domo arigatou gozaimasu.' Pagpasok ko palang suot ko na ang inyong mother hustler na si Mama Vicky," she recalls. In a photo of her visa, the movie's original working title HM, Sis? was also shown.

Aside from their immersion, Jodi and the rest of the cast also had to learn how to dance, particularly to "Bakit Papa?" by The Sexbomb Girls. In an opening scene, three of the core characters can be seen performing the routine as they are plunged into their first gig as hostesses.

"For me, that was one of the scenes where I felt the most nervous, which I didn’t expect. Normally, I do get nervous every time I step onto the set," she expresses. "But I could really hear my heartbeat pounding. I was extremely nervous, especially in that scene where we had to dance, maybe because it’s not something you do all the time, and I felt like a fish out of water. It was such a different environment."

Overall, shooting the project and actually living as entertainers in Japan opened Jodi's eyes to the realites our kababayans face. She reflects on what the job entails for OFWs, and how it's become such a common path for many women.

"The reality of 'babae' working in Japan—if we look at it through a wider lens—it really reflects the economic situation and the need to earn. There’s global demand and personal sacrifice. These factors come into play. [There are] reasons why they leave the Philippines to try their luck abroad," the actress states.

Midnight Girls is now showing in cinemas nationwide.