MANILA - Comedians Long Mejia and Gary Lim took a break from their usual comedy acts to don snappy and serious roles as soldiers in a true-to-life film entitled "The Blind Soldiers".

Set during the Japanese invasion of the Philippines, Mejia and Lim will play two of the five members of the Teduray tribe who enlisted to become part of the United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE). These five men are illiterates who will realize later on the magnitude of fighting a war.

"Dito mare-realize ng characters namin ang kahalagahan ng edukasyon. At pagmamahal sa bayan," Mejia said.

Mejia and Lim will act alongside award-winning actor Soliman Cruz who revealed that this movie was his project during the global lockdown.

"The Blind Soldiers" is a finalist at the Saskatchewan International Film Festival 2023. The movie will be shown in SM Cinemas nationwide in September.