Director Louie Ignacio has turned one of the most painful chapters of his life into his latest film, "40 Days,” revealing that the story was inspired by the death of his mother just months before production began.
Speaking during the film's story conference, Ignacio said the mystery family drama was born out of his own grief after losing his 90-year-old mother to dementia in March.
"I came up with the story just after my mother died. It's similar to what happens in the film, but it's not our family's story. I just drew from that experience,” Ignacio said during a press conference.
The filmmaker personally cared for his mother until her final days with the help of a professional caregiver, an experience he said shaped the emotional core of the movie.
During the event, Ignacio showed reporters a pendant containing a small portion of what he called his mother's "green bone," saying it serves as a constant reminder of her presence.
"On her 40th day, my eyes were still red because I cried almost every night. She's with me every day — her green bones are in this pendant I wear. Every night, I also look at the urn containing her ashes,” he said.
Talk of the film's themes soon evolved into a candid conversation about grief, with the cast drawing from their own experiences of loss.
Actress Lotlot de Leon grew emotional as she reflected on losing her mother, screen legend Nora Aunor, more than a year ago and on how grief continues long after a loved one passes.
“Grieving means that one day you’re sad and the next day you might feel okay. Then another day you find yourself happy as you remember the person you love and all the beautiful moments you shared. It comes in waves, and you just try to live one day at a time,” she said.
Veteran actress Dina Bonnevie also drew from personal loss while preparing for the role, saying she initially questioned whether she was emotionally ready to take on a film centered on death.
Bonnevie lost her husband in January 2025 and said the script brought back painful memories, particularly a scene in which her character chooses a coffin.
Apart from her husband, Bonnevie added that the loss of her father remains equally difficult because she had been his primary caregiver for 17 years.
"It was so difficult when he passed away. My siblings couldn't come home from abroad because of the pandemic. I kept thinking, what if they couldn't come home at all? There were only my sister and me at his wake," she said.
Asked about the significance of the traditional 40-day mourning period observed by many Filipino families, Bonnevie shared a deeply personal experience.
"As a Christian, we believe that when we die, we go to heaven, especially if you've accepted the Lord God as your Savior. When you die, you're with Jesus," she said.
"But when it came to my husband, I found myself wondering what happened to him on his 40th day. Before that 40th day, I felt he was still around. I didn't see anything, but I felt his presence,” she added.
Directed by Louie Ignacio from a screenplay by Jessie Villabrille and produced by LVD Management Corp., 40 Days follows the Castro family as they gather in their ancestral home after the death of 90-year-old matriarch Dolores Castro. As the traditional 40-day mourning period unfolds, long-buried family secrets, betrayals and unanswered questions surrounding her death gradually surface.
The film stars De Leon, Bonnevie, Snooky Serna, Elizabeth Oropesa, Perla Bautista, Ricardo Cepeda and Lloyd Samartino, alongside Jayson David, Yvonne Asher, Diego Gutierrez, Damian Efergan and Franchezca Albo, blending mystery and suspense with an intimate exploration of grief, memory and family.
