Kalel, 15 was much more than a breakout role for Elijah Canlas.
In the latest episode of Rolling Stone Philippines’ YouTube series, Greatest Hits, the actor reflected on how his role as the titular character in the 2019 drama helped open his eyes to people living with HIV in the Philippines.
The movie follows 15-year-old Kalel (Canlas) as he navigates his HIV diagnosis and his relationships with his mother Edith (Jaclyn Jose), his father (Eddie Garcia), his sister Ruth (Elora Españo), and his girlfriend Sue (Gabby Padilla).
“Maraming lumapit sa akin, friends even, na ‘di pa inaamin that they do have it, and then they told me na watching the movie kind of changed their lives and gave them the courage to seek help,” Canlas told Rolling Stone Philippines.
Canlas also recalled how Kalel 15 director Jun Lana advised him not to prepare for the role, but to instead empathize with the character as much as possible. “[Kalel’s] just a survivor,” said Canlas, “a fighter in this cruel country, in this world. Despite his family and friends betraying him… lumalaban siya, and he chooses to survive. That was a big wake-up call for me.”
In Rolling Stone Philippines’ Greatest Hits, Canlas breaks down five of his biggest projects to date. You can watch it now exclusively on our YouTube channel.
