Northern Marianas College student John San Nicolas plays Matt, the lead character in the upcoming film “ISLA: Isla’n Esperånsa (Island of Hope),” which will have a limited premiere screening on Thursday, Jan. 25, at 6 p.m. at Hollywood Theaters.
Opposite Maisie B. Tenorio, center, and Friella Dela Santa, right, who play his mother and sister respectively, John San Nicolas finds hope in family as the lead character, Matt in the upcoming film “ISLA: Isla’n Esperånsa (Island of Hope).” The film will have a limited premiere screening on Thursday, Jan. 25, at 6 p.m. at Hollywood Theaters.
(NMC) — For Northern Marianas College student John San Nicolas, playing the lead role in the upcoming film, “ISLA: Isla’n Esperansa (Island of Hope),” has been a personal journey to find hope amidst the despair in reality as well as in fiction.
“Playing this character wasn’t really difficult because I could relate to the character so well,” he said. In the film, his character, Matt, is a math whiz who tries to save his family as he gets pulled into the criminal underworld of the island. In playing the role, he noted, “It got hard to separate Matt from myself because we have so much in common, except, of course, for the criminal part.”
Of all the things they have in common, San Nicolas said that the dynamic family relationships struck a chord for him. As he put it, “Rich or poor, every family has its problems, and even though you love each other and enjoy happy times, every family still deals with problems that are not always easy to fix.”
This is why the film’s theme of despair resonated so much with him. He said, “The despair in the story is as real as it can get.” He added, “Although Matt tries his best to get out of the despair he’s in, he risks losing everything.”
But, San Nicolas also appreciates that the flip of despair in the film, and in life, is hope. He said, “Hope comes from family — the hope Matt’s mom had for her son, the hope that he has for her, even the hope their neighbor had for them.” He added, “They are a family of hope.”
That is why San Nicolas believes everyone that watches the film will be able to relate as well. As he noted, “You see all these Hollywood films portraying rom coms and superhero movies that all seem so unreal, but this film touches on real and regular family issues.” Driving the point home, San Nicolas said, “This is a good reflection of what we, here on island, are going through.”
That is why he also emphasized, “Everyone on island needs to see this film.”
“ISLA: Isla’n Esperånsa (Island of Hope),” a Northern Marianas College and Mount Carmel School joint production, will have a limited premiere screening on Thursday, January 25, at 6:00 pm at Hollywood Theaters. Tickets are $15 each and can be purchased at Hafa Bean, TRIBE Marianas, and Mount Carmel School’s Business Office. Due to limited seating, advance purchase of tickets is highly recommended. Due to mature content and graphic language, adult discretion is also advised.
