TWO AND ONE

Last Monday I attended the movie premiere of horror flick titled “Nay,” an entry in the ongoing 2017 Cinema One Originals Festival and the following day I watched the gala night screening of two digitally remastered movie classics namely “Tag-ulan sa Tag-Araw” (1975) and “Langis at Tubig” (1980).  I was amazed with the enthusiasm and response of the moviegoers on both events. "Nay" was screened to a sold-out seats at Trinoma Cinema 2 and likewise large crowd showed up for the screening of two Vilma Santos movie classics.  The event was well organized, with people behind the restoration program in attendance headed by Leo Katigbak of ABS-CBN Film Archives.  Cocktails were served at Glorietta's Cinema lobby before screening time.

Now on its 12th year, the Cinema One Originals Festival is an independent film festival held annually during the month of November and is produced by Cinema One, a cable television channel owned by ABS-CBN.  Its goal is to showcase diverse talents of young filmmakers who received financial assistance in producing their entries.  On the other hand, the film restoration project of ABS-CBN is dedicated to restore and remaster select Filipino films through the use of modern digital technology and preserve them for future generation.  In this respect, ABS-CBN's generosity and effort in discovering new talents is indeed highly commendable and a significant milestone in the local movie industry.

GALA SCREENING OF DIGITALLY REMASTERED COPY OF DANNY ZIALCITA'S "KARMA"

The gala screening of Danny Zialcita’s 1981 film “Karma” took place last night at Trinoma Cinema 2.  Among the lead stars, only Ronaldo Valdez attended the event; Chanda Romero didn’t show up and the main lead star Vilma Santos left for Hongkong on the same day to spend her birthday with her family but nevertheless the event was a success, attended by film enthusiasts, bloggers and notably Vilma Santos’ loyal fans from VSSI (Vilma Santos Solid Internationals Fans Club).  The organizers provided cocktails for the guests before screening time and pictorials and interviews followed with Ronaldo Valdez enjoying the spotlight and gamely posed with selfie seekers.

“Karma” is about the reincarnation of two main characters Guada  (Leila Hermosa) and Limbo (Ruel Vernal) who had an illicit affair in the past (many years ago).  Sarah (played by Vilma Santos) is forced to postpone her wedding when her scheduled flight is delayed.  At a hotel  where she is billeted, she encounters Eric (played by Ronaldo Valdez), a regular hotel guest who forces himself on her. Erik wasn't aware that the room was already taken by Sarah. The incident leaves a stigma not just on Sarah but more so on her fiancé Alfredo (played by Tommy Abuel) whose dream of marrying a “virgin” is ruined.  Sarah and Eric crossed path again at a time when their respective marriages were in shambles and both tried to rekindle their aborted affair leaving their respective spouses devastated which eventually led to a series of tragedies as both committed violent suicides.  Eric was killed by his wife Christy (played by Chanda Romero) but hold your breath Eric's character does not end there, as his spirit was presumably reincarnated in the person of Christopher de Leon who survived from similar tragedy.  The movie ends in a scene showing Christopher de Leon playing harmonica while walking at the beach and approached Sarah who was sitting on a rock.  Christopher asked Sarah what's her favorite color (the same question that Limbo and Eric asked Guada and Sarah in their past lives).  The final scene provided "kilig" to the audience but leaves the audience with the question whether Sarah lived happily ever after with the reincarnated soul of Limbo and Eric or was Sarah rewarded with good karma?

It's been sometime that Vilma and Christopher haven't made a movie together and if I am not mistaken the last movie they did was "Mano Po (My Love)" in 2004.  The two movie icons starred in more than 20 successful films making them the most formidable tandem in local cinema.   

The event was organized by Quezon City Film Development Commission in partnership with ABS-CBN Film Restoration Program.  The goal of the ABS-CBN's project is to digitally restore and remaster select Filipino Films from the archives of ABS-CBN and a list of notable films have been digitally restored including Ismael Bernal's "Himala," Mike de Leon's "Kung Mangarap Ka't Magising," Laurice Guilen's "Kapag Langit ang Humatol" and Peque Gallaga's "Oro, Plata, Mata" to mention a few.