Picture
Picture

Isa sa pinakaunang seryosong pelikulang Filipino na tumalakay sa buhay ng overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) ay ang pelikulang ’Merika (1984) ni Gil Portes, mula sa panulat nina Gil Quito at Clodualdo del Mundo. Ipinalabas ito sa panahong patuloy na lumalakas ang puwersa ng migranteng manggagawa. Panahon ito na nakakaranas na ang bansa ng krisis pang-ekonomiya. Panahon din ito nang unang narinig ang pagtukoy sa OFWs bilang “Bagong Bayani,” pagkilala ng rehimeng Marcos sa kanilang malaking ambag sa ekonomiya ng bansa.

Inilahad sa pelikula ang buhay ni Milagros Cruz, isang nars sa New Jersey na may limang taon na ring nagtatrabaho doon. Bahagi ng pang araw- araw niyang pakikipagsapalaran sa 'Merika ang pagsakay niya sa subway patungo sa pinapasukang trabaho. Makikita ang kahusayan ni Nora sa pagganap sa eksena habang nakasakay siya sa tren. Mababakas sa kanyang mga mata ang pangungulila, ang kalungkutan, ang paglalakbay na animo’y walang patutunguhan.

Nakatatak na sa isip ng manonood ng pelikulang Filipino ang hindi malilimutang eksenang ito. Maraming sumunod na mga pelikula na tumalakay din sa buhay ng mga Filipino sa ibang bansa ang gumamit ng katulad na eksena ni Nora. Sa Milan (2004) may eksena si Claudine Baretto na mag-isang nakasay sa tren. Sa Caregiver (2008) nag-aabang si Sharon ng tren habang nangangaligkig sa lamig; sa sumunod na eksena makikita siyang mag-isang bumibiyahe. Maging sa In My Life (2009) si Vilma Santos ay may katulad ring eksena. Ngunit hindi maikakaila na sa kanilang lahat si Nora Aunor ang nagpakita ng di-matatawarang husay sa paglalarawan ng pag-iisa, ng pagiging di-kabilang, ng kalungkutan na patuloy pa ring nararanasan ng mga Filipino sa lupang dayuhan. Ang pangungulila na hindi kayang tapatan o punan ng dolyar, masasarap na pagkain, o anumang karangyaan. Ang pangungulila na walang ibang solusyon kundi ang pagbalik sa lupang sinilangan. Dalawampu’t limang taon mula nang ipalabas ang ’Merika, makabuluhan pa rin ang mensahe nito hanggang sa ngayon. Marami pa ring Filipino ang tulad ni Milagros Cruz na bagama't nagkaugat sa lupang dayuhan, sa kanilang kaibuturan ay nananabik sa sariling bayan.

Nagbibigay-pugay ang manunulat sa ika-25 taong anibersaryo ng ’Merika. Gayundin sa mga Noranian na kahit matagal nang naninirahan sa ibang bansa ay Noranian pa rin mula noon hanggang ngayon!!!!!!
 
 
Picture
Tirso Cruz III and Nora Aunor winning the top acting awards in the 3rd Quezon City Film Festival, 1972

It was 1972. Back then as a 9-year old, I couldn’t care less. I watched Nora Aunor movies with my Lola and whether Nora was playing cutesy or serious roles, I enjoyed them regardless. I remember watching And God Smiled at Me that year. It must be fate. The year that Nora Aunor embarked on a serious dramatic role and won her first acting award was the same year that the National Artist award was created.

 In the following year, Nora Aunor was not just the singer and the actress but also the movie producer. Her own NV Productions made three movies: Carmela, Paru-parong Itim and Super Gee. She was 20 years old. Her contemporaries did not have the same mindset (and talent). So young (so ambitious?) but already dead serious as to what she wanted to become. Very early on, she realized that for her to grow as an artist, she had to be in control. As well, her audience deserved much better films.

 So in between those light “audience-friendly” movie projects, risky attempts for non-musical, more dramatic, quality-made films would emerge. Eventually, her audience acknowledged her refined acting talent. I did too. Nora learned to make better films, I learned to appreciate them. She is a Filipino, with typical Filipino looks and she portrays Filipino. When I watch her, I embrace and understand Filipino. Banaue, Minsa’y Isang Gamu-gamo and Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos, I watched these films intensely. I was quiet the whole time, afraid to blink even for a second as not to miss an arresting acting moment performed through perfect dialog delivery, minimal gestures, simple body movements, facial expression and those round eyes that speak a thousand words. Then came Bona and Himala. Even foreign audience took notice and they were in awe. There was no doubt in the world what Nora Aunor is capable of.

 Nora did not just get better at acting. She showed mastery of the craft. When most popular actors were used to physical and “loud” acting, Nora did the opposite. In-depth “silent” acting became her signature style, the type that only a few artists can pull off with utmost credibility. When Nora did it, it looked natural and effortless and yet, totally affecting. One doesn’t see Nora Aunor in her films, you see her character instead and at times … you see a piece of your own self.

Music

Nora was first and foremost a singer. After all, that’s where everything started. I grew up hearing Nora’s old songs but only later when I got to really listen to them. Perhaps back then I was not paying much attention to her early ballads. As a child, the catchy familiar tunes of Pearly Shells, Kusinera, Darling etc. amused me more. It was not difficult to sing along with these songs too.

Week after week and almost two decades of viewing the Superstar show got me hooked to Nora’s singing. In her show, I have listened and watched Nora interpret varied songs. Kundiman and Pinoy folk (in both Pilipino and regional dialects), English, pop, Manila sound, jazzy, novelty, her own movie theme songs, even rock … you name it, she sung it. Of course singing ballads had to be where she excelled the most. She would sing them all from the heart. I remember listening to her “Kapantay ay Langit” version which haunted me for days. I watched her sing “What Now My Love?” in one of the film award ceremonies and I was floored. It was an electrically charged performance, hair-raising to say the least. Never seen and experienced anything like that before.

Nora’s golden unique voice is a given but it didn’t just rest there. She used her voice to touch people’s hearts. She does not just sing the song, she performs it. Much like her acting, her singing would bring out the right emotion that stays with you long after the music has ended. It is just good natured, pure, beautiful music. She does not even have to reach a single high note.

Years had passed. The raw and pure voice has matured, huskier but more full bodied. With age and experience, the song interpretation only gets better. But old songs still take a grasp, portal of sweet memories, not to let go and always … will be remembered.

The Artist

Pioneering and excellent acting skill, heartfelt and soothing music, extraordinary talent which is highly regarded by peers and critics, impressive and unparalleled body of work, local and international awards and recognitions, but most of all, an artist and artistry that created a deep-seated impact on the film and music industry, on Philippine culture and the Philippines, as a whole. With all these sparkling achievements and qualifications, pardon me if I have to ask: Are these not enough for someone to be named National Artist? Or could it be that she has overly exceeded the set criteria? By the way, she was also a record-breaking concert performer and a standout theatre actor, a complete multimedia artist.

More controversies hound the National Artist choices this year and Nora Aunor missed out again. Many have expressed despair and disappointment about the alleged undeserving winners and mistrust of the deliberation and selection process. Sadly though, people in the know refused to listen and to continue with the argument seems a lost cause. In any case, it was heartwarming to know that when a more deserving winner is mentioned by the disgruntled (but nonetheless) respectable artists and writers, the name Nora Aunor would always make the first cut. Not that there is a need for any more revalidation or proof. No sitting on the fence for me when it comes to Nora’s talent and artistry. No ifs and buts … just true excellence!

I doubt it that the Office of the President has watched many films and listened to a variety of music, yet it has the ultimate power to confer a National Artist for Film and Music. I am no President. I am just an ordinary citizen and definitely not an art connoisseur. But I watch good films and listen to beautiful music and I’d like to say that my own journey of appreciation for film and music was greatly influenced by one artist. That artist is Nora Aunor, my National Artist.

I will wait patiently for the official conferment of her National Artist award but if this does not happen in her lifetime or mine, it barely matters as I have long considered it DONE anyway.

In the truest sense of the title, Nora Aunor is already one National Artist.

Nora Aunor (NA) is National Artist (NA). The acronym suits perfectly.

N.B. For 42 years, you have given us a legacy of films and music that will not be forgotten. Thank you, Ms. Nora Aunor.
 
 
Picture
Photo by Ramon Prado

Talk of this film uniting two superstars of Philippine cinema, Nora Aunor and Lav Diaz, is making the rounds in blogs.

Diaz confirmed this with Inquirer Entertainment, saying the movie, “Reclusion Perpetua,” has been in the works for the past three years.

(Aunor is also set to shoot “Do Filipinos Cry in America?” next year, according to its director, Celso Ad. Castillo.)

Diaz finally met with Aunor recently in Santa Monica, California.

“I went to see Nora,” Diaz explained, “to see how committed she was to the project. We talked at length about it.”

Diaz liked what he saw and heard: “She’s committed.”

He calls it a “collective” effort: “Her fans are raising money. If we meet the target, we’ll be shooting soon.”

Meanwhile, Diaz is off to the Thessaloniki film fest in Greece, where he’s a jury member and where his latest short, “Butterflies Have No Memories,” will be featured in a retrospective on Pinoy indies.

Then, “Butterflies” and his Venice-winning feature, “Melancholia,” will be screened in Warsaw.

Diaz received the Indie Spirit award in the just-concluded Cinemanila fest.

What was the meeting with Nora like?

It was cool. She was in jeans and rubber shoes, no makeup. The sun was shining so bright that day, but a cool breeze, like Baguio’s, was hovering. We had a late lunch and a few beers. We realized we were in LA’s gay district because we kept seeing men holding hands while strolling, and women lustily kissing. Nora joked, “Alam ko na ngayon kung saan pupunta (Now, I know where to go).”

What is “Reclusion Perpetua” about?

Nora’s character is looking for her husband, who disappeared in the US.

Why is it important to you to make a film with Nora now?

It is a cultural issue for me. It is dialectical. Nora Aunor is a Filipino icon, arguably our greatest actress. So, on the level of cultural discourse, she is very much a part of our struggle. I am not a fan ... though my mother is a fanatic. As a cultural worker, I acknowledge her importance.

Why is it important for today’s audiences to see her act again?

Any respectable Nora Aunor film can be used to educate our people. This is my responsibility, to use the medium to create a greater aesthetic and socio-cultural discourse for our people. The most potent modern medium now is cinema. Why not use an incredibly potent icon in the process?

I am using the term “use,” or “paggamit” in Tagalog, in a very dialectical way. That answers the need for a Nora Aunor film. I am not doing a propaganda film, though, not a Nora rah-rah movie. The film’s core shall remain aesthetic. This is still free cinema. It can run 40 hours.

Why is it described as a collective effort?

Everybody is working almost pro bono. Her responsible fans are doing patak-patak (passing the hat). We will work on people’s donations. I am actually announcing it now: We need help! The objective is greater cinema, not profit. Should money come later, it would just be consequential.

How do you know Nora?

In Cotabato, as a kid, I experienced the phenomenon. It was crazy. My mom had some of her records at home.

The screenings of Nora Aunor movies were out of this world. You can actually see truckloads of people arriving in front of movie houses—people from the barrios. They’d be bringing kalderos and platos.

Every time Nora appeared onscreen, there would be screaming, wailing, shrieking. Some would faint. You couldn’t breathe or move. It wasn’t just standing room; it was bumper-to-bumper, sweat-to-sweat, laway-to-laway, bahala na kung mamatay (spit-to-spit, who cares if we die).

What are your favorite Nora Aunor movies?

I love Ishmael Bernal’s “Himala.” She’s also great in Mario O’Hara’s “Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos.”

READ MORE

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer, October 26, 2009, E1, E3
 
 
 
 
Picture

Critic Noel Vera describes Bona as "a masterpiece of acting ..." Here's his full description of the film in the Viennale program:

Bona is a middle-class schoolgirl who leaves home to work as a kind of slave to the man she loves, an aging feckless gigolo who treats her appallingly and eventually dumps her. The meek little Bona, however, exacts a terrible revenge.

Brocka is a master at sketching social hierarchies, and Bona contains fine examples of his skill. This film is a masterpiece of acting, psychology, self-revelation, realist cinema; we study it for its subtleties (of which I think there are many), but finally we experience it as a cathartic drama, an occasion for identification and reflection. Viewing the film, we see uncomfortable reminders of ourselves, by turns exploring and exploiting, seducing and betraying, adoring and abusing. Viewing the film, we realize that we are our own martyrs and monsters. (Noel Vera)

For more information, visit the Viennale website: http://www.viennale.at/en/programm/

 
 
 
 
Picture

First Annual Filipino International Film Festival
Los Angeles, California, October 16th, 17th, 18th, 2009
At The Regency Fairfax Cinema; 7907 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048

FIFFLA [Filipino International Film Festival Los Angeles] Organization is happy to announce its film selections for its first year. The Festival will take place on October 16th, 17th, & 18th in the heart of Hollywood at the Regency Fairfax Cinema, 7907 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048.

This three-day event will highlight award-winning features and short films from the Philippines and the United States. Tickets are now on Sale and the movie guide is available at www.fiffla.org.
Email: info@fiffla.org
YouTube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1K789l7Cd48

FIFFLA is a non-profit organization devoted to bringing films from the Philippines with the sole purpose to raise the global awareness of this new Renaissance of film making. Filipinos are, currently undergoing a new breed of talented filmmakers, writers, producers and actors who are collectively working to create these films for the world to see.

To give you a glimpse of where the future of Philippine Cinema is going, there will be a showcase of great films from the past, as well as new films in the present moment of time. Since this is our first year, FIFFLA is managing a way to best represent Philippine Cinema to its fullest.

The Film Festival is located in the “Entertainment Capital of the World,” solely devoted to the Filipino Films and Filipino talents.
The chosen films are an eclectic view of what the festival represents and offers to the movie industry world, and they are an insight into our diverse culture, history and traditions. FIFFLA promises to deliver Philippine Cinema that is rarely seen which will be thought-provoking and inspirational.

FIFFLA 2009 Film Line-up

“Jose Rizal”
Date: Opening Night, Friday, October 16th, 2009
Time: 8:00PM

“Dekada 70”
Date: Saturday, October 17th, 2009
Time: 1:00PM

“Hilot” (Midwife)
Date: Saturday, October 17th, 2009
Time: 1:00PM

“Himala” (Miracle)
Date: Saturday, October 17th, 2009
Time: 3:00PM

“Ang Manghuhula”(The Fortune Teller)
Date: Saturday, October 17th, 2009
Time: 3:00PM

Short Film Program #1
Date: Saturday, October 17th, 2009
Time: 5PM
University of the Philippines Film Institute Showcase.

“Brown Soup Thing”
Date: Saturday,
October 17th, 2009
Time: 8:00PM

“Eskapo”
Date: Sunday, October 18th, 2009
Time: 1:00PM

“Fidel”
Date: Sunday, October 18th, 2009
Time: 1:00PM

“Tribu”
Date: Sunday, October 18th, 2009
Time: 3:00PM

Short Program 2
Date: Sunday, October 18th, 2009
Time: 3:00PM

“Tambolista” Closing Night
Date: Sunday, October 18th, 2009
Time: 7:00PM

The Festival will include; A “Round Table” initiative.
Admission is FREE
Date: Saturday, October 17th, 2009
Time: 6:00PM

FIFFLA will be donating $1.00 from every$10.00 ticket sold to the Philippines Typhoon Relief Fund.Typhoon Relief Fund will be given to theAyala Foundation USA.

Sponsored by the PABA Foundation, the roundtable will feature Fil-Am filmmakers, academics, actors and critics each of whom will discuss the status of Asian films and actors in Hollywood and international film festivals. The roundtable is free to the public and pending certification for 1.0 hour of CLE with the State Bar of California.

FIFFLA would like to thank its supporters and sponsors: Philippine Consulate of Los Angeles, Film Development Council of the Philippines-FDCP, University of the Philippines Film Institute, Millennium Biltmore Hotel, ABS-CBN Star Cinema, GMA Films, City of Los Angeles Mayors Office and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, PABA Foundation, Hobson&Dungog, LatinoWeeklyReview.com, Manila Sunset, FotoSeven, EndGame Entertainment, Triple Five Pacific Fastwell Inc., Hollywood Film & Acting Academy, FilAm Nation, Sky Sales Travel & Tours, Doug Mockett & Co, Vessel Drinkware, PinoyLife Style, Alex Magallanes Photography, BakitWhy.com, Vuqo and Haliya Wines, The Regency Theater Fairfax Cinema, Balita Newspaper - Mr. Romy Borje, LM Enterprise Linda Magalona, Mr. Errol Santos Board of Directors~FIFFLA and Copy Page.com,

*A portion of donations to FIFFLA are tax deductible. To claim your charitable contribution, please make out all checks and payments to: The PABA FOUNDATION, a public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. PABA Foundation is the fiscal sponsor of FIFFLA for the 2009 fiscal year.
 
 
Picture
Click image to enlarge
Picture
Tagumpay Magazine, May 12, 1971