H.E.R.’s first film debut hits close to home.
The Grammy winner voices the lead character in DreamWorks ’ new animated film Forgotten Island. Debuting as a voice actor, the project holds deep personal meaning.
“When they told me it was about Filipinos and it was animated, I’m like, ‘I’m in, I’m in. That’s all you had to say,” she told PEOPLE. “I came and read, and it was so organic, and it was so fun. I was also very emotional.”
“Filipinos aren’t really given this moment to celebrate. There’s never been a film created around Filipino culture celebrating the culture where people are speaking Tagalog. Not a mainstream film. So this is a really, really big deal for the culture.”
WHAT IS ‘FORGOTTEN ISLAND’ ABOUT?
Directed by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, Forgotten Island is a coming-of-age fantasy adventure set in the 1990s Philippines. It follows childhood best friends Jo (voiced by H.E.R.) and Raissa (Liza Soberano) as they face the anxiety of drifting apart after high school graduation.
On their final night together before Raissa leaves for college in America, the pair accidentally open a portal using a magical sand dollar and get transported to Nakali—a mythical realm populated by creatures from Filipino folklore. Upon waking up with lost memories, they discover that the magical realm gradually feeds on its visitors’ pasts. To find their way back home, Jo and Raissa must journey through the strange world alongside legendary spirits and monsters. Ultimately, they realize that escaping Nakali means confronting their fear of growing apart before their shared lifetime of memories is erased forever.
H.E.R. spoke about the importance of being seen.
“We finally get to be seen,” she says. “I’ve been seeing a little bit of the impact, but I can’t wait for the rest of the world to experience it.”
“I’m a lot like Jo, very Type B, very go with the flow. I can be a little chaotic. There’s a lot of things that were already in me that I just had to bring front and center. It definitely reminded me a little bit of young me.”
Forgotten Island hits theaters Friday, Sept. 25.