MAX Eigenmann ended 2023 with a recognition as Best Actress from the Sixth Eddys or the Entertainment Editors’ Choice for Anna Isabelle’s Matutina’s 12 Weeks, given by the Society of Philippine Entertainment Editors (SPEED) last November.

At the start of 2024, Max proudly started the year with the regular theater run of ‘Raging Grace,’ the mystery-suspense thriller that she filmed in the United Kingdom in 2021.

In May 2021, Max auditioned for a lead role in the directorial debut of Filipino-British director, Paris Zarcilla, who also wrote the screenplay.

“The Filipina co-producer of the film (Darlene Malimas), invited me to audition,” Max disclosed. “That took around two months. By July 2021, I got the part. We started filming by October that year.”

Also in the cast of ‘Raging Grace’ are Jaiden Paige Boadilla (who plays Max’s daughter, Grace), Leanne Best and David Hayman.

To date, the film has made the rounds of international film festivals in the UK, the US, Australia, Switzerland, some countries in Europe and the Busan Film Festival in Korea.

“We saved the best for last, the Philippines,” Max beamed.

‘Raging Grace’ premiered last November 2023 at QCinema. Paris The young director also prove his excellence in making the film which earn him a Maverick Award nomination at the British Independent Film Awards.

Last January 16, ‘Raging Grace’ premiered in the Philippines with Max in the audience.

“The first time I watched it, I was a bit tensed,” Max said. “But now, after seeing the film eight times, I was less tense. It was nice to hear the applause after everybody watched it. It made me really proud of our film.”

The film is about an illegal Filipina immigrant, Joy (Max Eigenmann), struggling from one job to another, so she can secure a better life for herself and her daughter, Grace (Jaiden Paige Boadilla)

Joy lands a job in an old mansion as a housemaid to a middle aged woman (Leanne Best) and a care worker to terminally ill old man (David Heyman). However, her relief from securing this job is short-lived when she uncovers a deep, dark secret about her employer.

Everybody in the cast of ‘Raging Grace’, except for Max, is from the UK. “They are all based there including the girl who played Grace,” granted Max. “She was born and raised in the UK. Raging Grace is her first film. She was very good. She is one of those young actors whose acting is probably in her genes. Ang husay.”

Raging Grace undoubtedly captured the critics’ attention as it gained numerous awards such as the Thunder Bird Rising Award, the SXSW (South by South West) Grand Jury Award from the SXSW Film Festival.

International Critic’s Award, Youth Jury Awards and the Audience Award from Neuchatel International Fantastic Film Festival, as well as nominations from the British Independent Film Awards and Sitges-Catalonian International Film Festival.

Max cannot be thankful enough that she was given a chance to do Raging Grace. “It was really an honor for me to be able to share the voice of a lot of OFWs,” she admitted. “That’s really the important message of the film.”

‘Raging Grace’ is finally being shown in local theaters. “I’m extremely proud that the film has finally reached local shores,” Max said. “I’m so excited for the rest of the country to see the film.”

AUTHOR PROFILE

Leah C. Salterio