Monday, December 24, 2012

THE WORLD RAVES ABOUT "THY WOMB" FILM



THY WOMB is a moving and visually captivating with two commanding yet understated central performances.  Mendoza’s film deserves an accolade at Venezia 69. 

Jo-Ann Titmarsh
United Kingdom

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Nora Aunor’s charming interpretation makes her character of the most sympathetic in the festival. 

Josefina Sartora 
Argentina

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The sequence of marriage is not only beautiful, outwardly beautiful, but can tell us about the lives and fractures in the lives that marriage is causing . . . The character of Shaleha is heartwarming and heartbreaking even in her self-sacrifice for the sake of her husband. 

Nuovo Cinema Locatelli
Italy

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Mendoza is much more interested in a convincing portrait of ordinary people in an unknown part of the world . . . but at the end of the ride he lets you do with a lump in the throat. 

Ruben Nollet
Belgium

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Thy Womb is a moving portrait of courageous woman, ready to sacrifice herself for the greater good, relying on a community that has long been known that it can only survive by helping each other as much as possible. 

Raphael Clairefond
France

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Featuring a standout performance by Philippine superstar Nora Aunor, Brillante Mendoza once again capture the complexities and frustration of contemporary Philippine society. 

Kim Ji Seok
South Korea

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Nora Aunor’s performance is spectacular in Thy Womb.  It is a very, very  beautiful film.  

Maxine Williamson
Australia

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In a stunning comeback role, Philippine supertar Nora Aunor breathes soul into her character of a lowly wife who is as summarily sacrificed like an animal. 

Philip Cheah
Dubai

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The Filipino director strikes with a story extreme sensitivity and delicacy . . . The naturalistic and credible interpretation of Nora Aunor, the sacrificial lamb provides emotional and passionate picture of love and motherhood. 

Elisabetta Bartucca
Italy

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A page of unforgettable film, born in one of the pristine places in the planet.  

Valerio Sammarco
Italy

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THY WOMB is a heartbreaking, devoutly humanist work. 

Steve Gravestock
Canada

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A profound, beautiful film that offers a different view of the concept of relationships that goes against that taken in western society. 

Anastasia Primachenko
Russia

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The sacrifice of the strong woman done with amazing sweetness and poetic beauty makes it as beautiful as the natural landscapes that frame the film. 

R. Serini
Italy

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Mendoza and his actors create real people with a subtle awareness of gesture and a sensitivity to the complex emotions of two characters are living through.  

John Bleasdale
United Kingdom

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The film successfully describes the Bajau rituals without judging their cultures. 

Michael Kienzl
Germany

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A wonderful love story . . . Just a universal story. 

Petra Reski
Italy

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Precise and detailed in describing the life of the Bajau, this Mendoza film is full lyricism and authentic at the same time, inevitably cruel, poetic and melancholy. 

Valeria Morini
Italy

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Brillante Mendoza manages to show a drama fiction and documentary, with flowing images that interweave human feelings on a canvas of colors. 

Oscar Sanchez
Mexico

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Tells the rituals and beliefs of a hidden culture.  Almost an essay of anthropology. 

Mereghetti Paolo
Italy

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The genius of Mendoza’s film is that no sooner has he drawn us into the couple’s simple life on the beautiful island of Tawi-Tawi than he unsettles this paradise with cinematic eruptions. 

Jamie Dunn
United Kingdom

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There is a strange harmony in the Bajau community . . . The camerawork by Brillante Mendoza investigates the universe interspersed between islands, churches and mosques, colorful markets and wedding rites. 

Paola Piacenza
Italy

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It is the best film to date from Filipino director Brillante Mendoza . . . The story becomes as quietly agonishing as a De Sica film. 

Nigel Andrews
United Kingdom

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A beautiful naturalistic film.  The actress, Nora Aunor, is fantastic. 

Mateo Sancho Cardiel
Argentina

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Brillante Mendoza designs a moving melodrama a couple torn between love and social traditions. 

Cristina Nord
Austria

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This story of love and sacrifice is simple in appearance, but the resonance is disturbing and deep. 

Jean-Francois Pluijgers
Belgium

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Mendoza does not focus on telling an emotionally charged story about a childless couple with the desire for offspring in a very dramatic way.  Rather, rituals, gestures and cultural codes are at the center of attention and convey, without judging, the image of a remote society. 

Vienna International Film Festival

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Nora Aunor, one of the best actresses of the world . . . in a magnificent visual sublimation. 

Pierre Hombrebueno
Italy

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 NORA AUNOR is nothing short of MAGNIFICENT in Brillante Mendoza's THY WOMB. 

Jose Javier Reyes
Philippines

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Nora Aunor shines in her minimalist portrayal of the subservient wife Shaleha. Aunor indeed is such a master of minimalist acting, and yet the emotional effect on the audience is tremendous. Her eyes really do talk, and they talk endless paragraphs of emotions. 

Macky Macarayan
Philippines

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‘Thy Womb,’ Spectacular In So Many Ways 

Crispina Martinez-Belen
Philippines

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‘Thy Womb’ is a moving story shot with utmost simplicity and realism, but with powerful undertones. It is a showcase of the beauty of life, love, and faith, and will leave you with a better appreciation of our Muslim brethren. 

Don Rapadas
Philippines

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I highly recommend Thy Womb as Direk Brillante explores in it the intricacies of rural life largely through the eyes of a Badjao midwife, thereby revealing new facets of the plight of Filipino indigenous peoples.

"Mendoza tackles heavy subject matter that our society needs to pay attention to, and this does its part in encouraging other filmmakers to push the boundaries of art and storytelling.

Loren Legarda
 Philippines

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Scriptwriter Henry Burgos has woven a tale of unselfish love that is unusually quiet and very cerebral. 

Pablo A. Tariman (Yahoo Philippines)

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Thy Womb is the kind of movie that doesn’t explain everything and doesn’t spoon-feed anything. Rather than verbalize, it visualizes. 

Eric T. Cabahug (InterAksyon)
Philippines

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Mendoza doesn’t spoon feed by showing how things  turn out to be.  He resorts to  clues — the body language, the one-liners. 

Maridol RaƱoa-Bismark (Yahoo Philippines)


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In one fell swoop, Mendoza weaves the personal (one’s notion of selfless love, joy, sadness,) with the cultural (how one’s actions, choices, thoughts are dictated by the society one is in) and the national (Tawi-Tawi’s socio-political setting). 

Jennifer Dugena and Jocelyn Dimaculangan (PEP)
Philippines

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While Brillante Mendoza has wielded his unconventional directing style to make this film another masterpiece, Nora Aunor immortalizes on this film her brand of underacting. 

Don Rapadas (Metanoia)
 Philippines

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This is an image we don’t see in Filipino movies, because in mainstream exploration of extramarital affairs and love triangles characters talk and talk about nonsense, reducing women as objects and elevating men as some sort of sex god.” 

 Macky Macarayan (Death of Traditional Cinema)
Philippines

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Unstinted of symbolisms and unadulterated emotions, Thy Womb is easily one of this year’s most affecting films as it transcends from the small vicinities of Tawi-Tawi to an engaging shrewdness and brilliance. 

Kikko Kalabud (Hot for Movies)
Philippines

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While the plot’s development is a bit dragging, as soon as it hits the high notes with its dramatic parts, it successfully sustains the momentum, keeping the moviegoers glued until the heart-breaking end. 

Jude Cartalaba (Rappler)
Philippines

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More than the co-existence of Muslim and Christian in this otherwise troubled place, Mendoza delivers the message of unconditional love that was perfectly depicted with the film’s ending scene: a rather simple shot of the lead actress’ face, but one that carried a powerful emotion that truly brought the entire film full circle. 

Irish Eden Belleza (Tabloid on Saturday)
Philippines

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 “Mendoza  fell in love with Tawi-Tawi and its people and it shows in Thy Womb: a picturesque, lyrical, appropriately quiet depiction of one of the most peace-loving peoples in the world – the Bajau.” 

Skilty Labastilla (Young Critics Circle)
Philippines

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Roco and Poe provide ample support for Aunor’s silent but intensely immersive portrayal. Nora will break your heart as her world-weary face lights up at the film’s final fade. 

 Rito Asilo (Philippine Daily Inquirer)

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An important movie to watch.  A poetic and romantic work of art. 

Stephanie Mayo (Films and Events Check)
Philippines

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Nora Aunor is awesome… acting without acting... No one but no one comes near her. 

Renato Constantino [Tempo] 
Philippines

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During moments of deep contemplations, you will find the joy and sadness, the celebrations and the longings in Shaleha’s heart through Nora’s eyes. Intense. Triumphant. Make no mistake, Thy Womb is Nora’s finest hour. 

Jonathan Catunao
Philippines

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“Thy Womb” is an important Filipino film accompanied by breathtaking acting that leaves a big-time emotional punch. 

Chikkaness (Chikkaness Avenue)
Philippines

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‘Thy Womb’ provided us a glimpse, if not a total journey, to the innermost being of a woman: of how it is to be one and what she’s capable of doing in the name of love; a tour into the heart of one culture people in the outside world failed to see or some of them didn’t bother to appreciate; a wondrous ride into feeling the core of a portion of the Filipino race. 

Ely Valendez (Ely’s Planet)
Philippines

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THY WOMB – ito ay isang obrang orihinal at napapanahon. Pilipinong-pilipino ang tema. Samo’t saring pasabog ang matutunghayan sa bawat eksena na ngayon mo pa lang makikita sa pinilakang-tabing. 

Colin Dy Tupaz (Pinoy Movie Blog)
Philippines

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The Womb is not the kind of dramatic film you see from Star Cinema, Viva or Regal. It is an ethnographic film as Mendoza introduces us to the culture and tradition of the Badjaos. Aunor is perfect for the role as she is lost in among the Badjaos, embracing the people’s thoughts and emotion. 

Isah V. Red (Manila Standard Today)
Philippines







Tuesday, November 27, 2012

SA PUSO NG HIMALA


Ang pinakabagong aklat ni Ricky Lee,
na naglalahad ng tatlumpung taong paglalakbay ng klasikong pelikulang "Himala" (1982).
Kasama ang screenplay, salin sa Ingles ng screenplay, interbyu sa mga artista at
production people,
at mahigit 300 retrato.


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Source: http://www.facebook.com/SaPusoNgHimala?fref=ts

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Sinong Pilipino ang hindi nakakakilala sa tanyag na mga linyang “Walang himala!”?

Ipinalabas sa Metro Manila Film Festival noong 1982, ang Himala ay nananatiling isang  klasiko ng pelikulang Pilipino. Sinulat ni Ricky Lee, dinirek ni National Artist for Film Ishmael Bernal, at ginampanan ni Nora Aunor, ito ang kauna-unahang pelikulang Pilipinong nag-compete sa Berlin Film Festival noong 1982. Napili ito ng Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino bilang isa sa sampung pinakamahuhusay na pelikulang Pilipino ng nakaraang tatlong  dekada ng ‘70s, ‘80s, at ‘90s. Nanalo rin ito ng CNN APSA Viewer’s Choice Award for Best Asia-Pacific Film of all Time noong 2008. Noong 2012, ipinalabas ito sa restored classics section ng Venice Film Festival.

Ang aklat na ito ay isang nakaaaliw at nakapagbibigay-kaalamang paglalakbay sa mundo ng Himala sa loob ng 30 years.


A FILMIC FEAST. A TRIPLE TREAT!

Now and forever, a faithful testimony of timeless art.
A documentary directed by Sari Dalena and Keith Sicat.
 

By: MICHAEL U. OBENIETA
THY WOMB starring Ms. Nora Aunor

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Source: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.230160597114827.58126.102939136503641&type=1

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"Himala" (Miracle) remains potent ever since it started to enthrall its audience 30 years ago. The magic continues under the directorial spell of Ishmael Bernal (National Artist for Film) along with the alchemy of Ricardo Lee's hypnotic writing and a brew of production values that are nothing short of heavenly, especially the ethereal presence of Ms. Nora Aunor who just reaffirmed her status as a world-class actress through her latest film, "Thy Womb."

Star Cinema's re-mastered edition of the Ishmael Bernal
masterpiece--honored at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA)
in 2009 as the "Best Asia-Pacific Film of All Time" by CNN viewers
--got a royal treatment when it was showcased among classics of world cinema at the Venice International Film Festival 2012.

Written and edited by Ricardo Lee,
one of the Philippines's top screenwrights,
a book with an insider look.

The old poster, circa 1982.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Restored version of Nora Aunor’s “Himala” to hit theaters Dec. 5


By: ELY VALENDEZ
Ely's Planet

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Source:  http://elysplanet.com/2012/11/09/restored-version-of-nora-aunors-himala-to-hit-theaters-dec-5/

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THIRTY YEARS after it first premiered, Pinoys has the second chance to watch the critically-acclaimed film, “Himala” directed the late Ishmael Bernal, starring the Superstar Nora Aunor as the restored version of the film will have a limited run in select cinemas nationwide starting December 5.
himala-nora-aunor
Film critics considers “Himala” as Superstar Nora Aunor’s best film. It returns to Philippine cinemas on December 5 as the film celebrates 30th anniversary.
Written by multi-award winner screenwriter Ricky Lee with Sergio Lobo as the Director of Photography,“Himala” is based on a true incident on a teenage girl in Cabra Island in the province of Occidental Mindoro between 1966 and 1967.Himala is the first of the 3000+ films to be restored by the ABS-CBN Film Archive and Central Digital Lab, Inc. The restored version premiered at the 69th Venice International Film Festival.
“Himala was filmed entirely in the province of Ilocos Norte in just three weeks with a budget of only ₱3 million. The film premiered at the 1982 Metro Manila Film Festival, and in 1983, became the first Filipino film to be included in the “Competition Section” of the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival. Since then, Himala has been exhibited in a number of film festivals around the world,” according to Abs-cbn.
On November 11, 2008, Himala won the Viewer’s Choice Award for the Best Film of all Time from the Asia-Pacific Region in the 2008 CNN Asia Pacific Screen Awards beating out nine other outstanding movies (voted by thousands of film fans around the world). The ten finalists were chosen by critics, industry insiders and actors—including Bollywood stars Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai.

THE NORANIAN FACTOR IN GUY’S LIFE

Nestor de Guzman, Gordon Doria, Art Barbadillo, Bibsy M. Carballo,
Ricky Lee, Maru Cusi Tatco, Jonathan Catunao, Gilbert Guy Ferrer


By: BIBSY M. CARBALLO
LIVE FEED
The Philippine Star Entertainment
November 21, 2012; Wednesday
Page E-3

If there would be any word that could describe Nora Aunor then and now, it would have to be “unpredictable.”  From the day she was born, the bronze superstar called Guy appeared to follow the disposition of the moment, breaking many rules but getting away with them.  Her love life and her misbehavior are fodder for gossip to this day.  Her awards in film, recording and theater are too many to enumerate.  She had close to 30 homes; her earnings would have run into the multi-millions, yet she has little to show for it.

In the acting field, her awards have come from Brussels, Cairo, Berlin Cannes, Singapore, Green Planet (Hollywood) and the recent Venice Film Festival.  Obviously, there is no Filipino award-giving body that hasn’t given her a Best Actress award and even a Lifetime Achievement trophy.  She is not called the Superstar for nothing.

But even superstars have their downside.  Nora left for the US sometime in 2004 and stayed there for eight years.  Perhaps, she enjoyed the life of an ordinary person away from the problems of a celebrity.  It is rumored she got into trouble with the US Immigration, asked to serve community service, was released with all cases erased and wonder of wonders, given a 10-year US visa.  People were astounded.  Walang himala?

Guy returns home.  TV5 had offered her a contract; the late Mario O’Hara directed her in a mini-series; Cannes Best Director Brillante Mendoza’s film Thy Womb brought her an award in Venice; the same film will compete at the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF); and ABS-CBN is launching the newly-restored film Himala with a book Ricky Lee was commissioned to write.  Guy is happily where she belongs.

The restored Himala film will be launched on Dec. 4, 4 p.m., at the Shangri-La Plaza Cinema 1, together with a documentary titled Himala Ngayon by sari Dalena and Keith Sicat.  Ricky’s coffee-table book Sa Puso ng Himala has the full screenplay, English translation, more than 100 full-color photographs and interviews with cast and crew.  The 1,000 hardbound copies at P1,000 each are almost sold out.  A softbound version limited to 4,000 copies at P500 with exactly the same content will be available at the launch (for details, call 426-4961, 928-9557 or 0917-5331948).

When informed by Leo Katigbak of ABS-CBN’s Film Archive and Special Events of the plan for the film launch and the book in early December, writer Ricky thought it would be a cinch.  No sooner had he agreed to the project when voluminous problems arose.  Director Ishmael Bernal had long been gone; cinematographer Ike Jarlego had just died; those on the set including this columnist as line producer couldn’t remember details from 30 years back; and Bernal’s assistant director Warlito Teodoro could not be traced.  What was Ricky to do?

He went to the Noranians, the Manila core group of Nora Aunor advocates in various parts of the globe who call themselves ICON and NFF (Nora’s Friends Forever) who promote the legacy of the superstar as a world-class artist.  It was the best decision he ever made.

According to Nestor de Guzman, a workshopper of Ricky in 2002, it is this group that went work quickly and efficiently:  On Aug. 2, relates Marie Cusi Tatco, they met with Ricky who asked them to assist in the research.  Mari searched for the root of the Himala story, the apparition in Cabra of the Virgin to a girl named Belinda Villas, and spoke to her and her husband.

Gilbert Ferrer and Jonathan catunao went to the National Library and Mowelfund to photocopy every material that had to do with Himala.  NFF members helped in transcription – among them Michael Obenieta in Kansas; Deogracias Antazo in Saudi Arabia; Marites de Vera in Dubai; Ellen Alejano in Autralia; Nikos dacanay in Thailand; Glorina Tugade with Bayer Philippines; and Gordon Doria in the Philippines.

Jonathan and Mari followed director Trina Dayrit to Antipolo on Aug. 9 to interview her in-between takes of her teleserye and the reached out to Baby K. Jimemez through Internet.   They waited two weeks while Manila was “underwater” because of the habagat rains to interview Imee marcos, head of Experimental Cinema (ECP) that produced Himala.

Meantime, Ricky’s efforts were gaining ground.  Charlie Perlata of Roper’s studio, official Himala photographer, submitted photos rescued from 30 years of flood and fungi.  Joel Lamangan, crowd director of the stampede scene of 3,000 extras, found Bernal notes of that scene.  At the wake of his brother Ike, Edmund Jarlego willingly shared memories from his brother of Himala.  Ernesto Enrique sent be Virgie Moreno’s UP Film Center to Ilocos to document Himala had information to share.  Jun Arvin Gudoy, current chief tourism officer of Ilocos, introduced them to some extras in the stampede which led to the actual spot of the tree in the movie where Elsa saw the Virgin.  The sineguelas tree was still in the spot they left it.  Waiting for another Himala?