HINDI na bago kay Markki Stroem ang BL o Boys Love stories dahil nakagawa na siya rati ng pelikulang ganito ang tema, ang Slumber Party sa CinemaOne Originals 2012.

At dahil ito ngayon ang usong napapanood sa online platforms ay sunud-sunod ang mga gumagawa nito tulad ng My Extraordinary, Game Boys, Sakristan at iba pa.

Hindi nagpahuli si Markki dahil during the Modified Enhance Community Quarantine ay nakatapos siya ng 6 series na may titulong Unlocked, six stories of love in the time of quarantine.

Kaya tinanong namin ang aktor kung paano, kelan at saan sila nag-shoot at kung anong safety protocols silang ginawa.

“Hey Reggee! Yep, its a risqué BL in and LGBTQ anthology series. “Andrew & Brix” focuses on a heartbroken guy na nag hire ng prostitute the day before quarantine was announced.“Kinunan siya the day after MECQ. Naka-quarantine naman kame for 2 weeks in advance, we were well protected. Only 3 crew members and 3 actors. Medyo natatakot pa kami dahil first day out. Pero felt safe and kept social distancing from crew. Kami lang ni Mike Liwag nag physical contact, dahil kailangan sa eksena.“Theater actor Mike Liwag will be playing Brix the prostitute my character Andrew hires :)

“Just a single condo. I had a rapid test in the hospital. Safe naman ako. Sa emergency room. Location is near GMA lang. Sa office nila direk. So safe and cleaned lahat.”

Pinasalamatan naman ni Markki ang direktor nilang si Adolf Alix Jr sa oportunidad na makatrabaho siya.

“Thank you direk @aalixjr for the opportunity! Watch out for it on the Asian LGBTQ streaming site @gagaoolala.official!“Unlocked” is a 6-episode anthology series about gay relationships under the lockdown premiering on @gagaoolala.official, the one and only LGBTQ focused online streaming service in Southeast Asia.“Each episode focuses on a different kind of loving relationship put to the test under lockdown, ‘I wanted to develop stories where the circumstances of the pandemic are a catalyst for a deeper examination of relationships. It acts as a purgation of sorts - be it the physical distance or the paranoia of the situation,” explained by the creator of the series Adolfo Alix Jr.

“The six stories are as follows: a heartbroken man hires a prostitute to help him cope with loneliness, a long-term gay couple need to reevaluate their relationship after being forced to be together 24/7, a single mother is trying to connect with her lover who is a nurse in the US, an elder professor reflects on his life after his young neighbor knocks on the door, a teenage boy comes of age and realizes about his real self during lockdown, a man alone in his apartment experiences a breakdown.“The first episode of Unlocked premieres this JULY 9TH on GagaOOLala with “Andrew and Brix” starring Markki Stroem and @mikeliwag . Then a new episode will be released every week.“GagaOOLala will also partner up with #ExtendtheLove, a fundraising project to help film workers in the Philippines during the quarantine. During the 6-week release window for Unlocked, the streamer will donate 25 PHP for every new subscriber coming on to the platform.”

-REGGEE BONOAN