The upcoming Filipino film "Spring in Prague" explores a cross-cultural romance between a Filipino man and a Czech woman, drawing inspiration from real-life stories of relationships formed between Filipinos living in the Czech Republic and its local women.

Produced by Borracho Film Production and directed by Lester Dimaranan, the film stars Paolo Gumabao and Sara Sandeva in lead roles. It was shot on location in Puerto Galera and in scenic Prague itself.

The story follows Alfie, a Filipino resort owner, who develops a relationship with Maria, a Czech model visiting the Philippines for the first time. When Maria is forced to return to Prague due to a family issue, Alfie travels to Europe in hopes of discovering whether their connection was more than a brief holiday romance.

According to producer Atty. Ferdinand Topacio, the idea for the film was born during a 2023 visit to Prague, where embassy officials shared stories about Czech women forming relationships with Filipino men living and working in the city.

“We were told by embassy staff that many Czech women had fallen for Filipino men in Prague,” Topacio said. “That observation sparked conversations about why that was happening, and eventually, the idea for this film came out of those discussions.”

Atty. Topacio said the team began developing the story while also learning more about Czech history and culture, particularly the country’s communist past and how it continues to influence family dynamics and social values. “It wasn’t just about romance,” he said. “We wanted to understand the background, the history, and how culture affects personal relationships.”

In the film, Maria’s father is portrayed as deeply conservative and distrustful of Western influence, a character shaped by his family’s political past in Czechoslovakia. This conflict becomes a central obstacle in the relationship between Alfie and Maria.

For Paolo, one of the main challenges was portraying the cultural differences between Alfie and Maria. “We were challenged to find specific characteristics in each of the characters to highlight in the film. And you know, despite all those differences in habits or in culture, they still clicked."

Paolo also described "Spring in Prague" as a turning point in his acting career.

"Lahat ng projects ko before this film ay sexy. Kung hindi sexy, kontrabida. First time kong gumawa ng pelikula kung saan genuinely mabait talaga yung character, lover boy at walang hinahabol na masama doon sa partner nya. So I guess isa sa mga natutunan ko dito at isa sa mga naging challenge ko is how to work my way around being a leading man and how to act naturally but in a cinematic way. (All of my projects before this film were sexy roles. If they weren’t sexy, I was usually the villain. This is my first time doing a movie where the character is genuinely kind, a lover boy who isn’t trying to hurt his partner in any way. So I guess one of the things I learned from this project, and one of my challenges, was figuring out how to work my way into being a leading man and how to act naturally, but in a cinematic way.)"

The production itself posed challenges, particularly during the Prague shoot. Paolo noted significant differences in work culture between the Philippine and Czech film industries. “In Prague, you shoot fewer scenes per day, but you spend hours perfecting each one. That’s why their films are so polished,” he pointed out.

Filming in Europe also came with logistical hurdles, including sub-zero temperatures that affected equipment and complex travel arrangements for cast members. One of the actresses in the film is Elena Kozlova, who starred alongside Gerald Anderson in the 2022 film "To Russia With Love." Holding a Russian passport, she had to reroute through Paris before entering the Czech Republic due to border restrictions.

Elena herself has been married to a Chinese-Filipino guy for seven years now, and they have been living in the Philippines. She revealed what makes Pinoy men tick.

"Filipinos, in general, are very warm and friendly, and that translates to men also. Maybe they're more emotionally available, they're not afraid to show their love, they're not afraid to tell you that they love you, and that, to me, is very attractive," she noted.

Atty. Topacio said Filipino producers should "change their mindset about movies. They should not rely solely on box-office sales, since there's also streaming. They can also sell the TV rights and open a YouTube channel."

"We own the rights to our films for 50 years, and we should make an effort to make it high quality. A movie is forever; it is a work of art that should be enjoyed by future generations. 'Spring in Prague' is the type of movie that can be appreciated by audiences 20 to 30 years from now," he declared.

The cast also includes Marco Gomez, Ynah Zimmerman, Jessy Vidal (who performs the film’s theme song), and Sean Raval. "Spring in Prague" is set to open in theaters on Feb. 4.