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'Bona,' other Philippine films showcased at the 77th Cannes Film Festival
The Croissette is once more brimming with moviegoers, film aficionados, filmmakers, and artists this year with the opening of the 77th Cannes Film Festival.
The Philippines is making its presence felt with the presentation of several films in the prestigious festival led by the return of superstar Nora Aunor's classic Lino Brocka-helmed film "Bona" to premiere its restored version of the 1980 film at the Cannes Classics this year. The film premiered 43 years ago at the Cannes' Directors' Fortnight.
Newly appointed head of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) Joey Reyes leads the Philippine delegation.
"Bona," which tells the story of a fan (Aunor) who idolizes a bit player (Phillip Salvador), was restored by Carlotta Films (led by its CEO and co-founder Vincent Paul-Boncour), Kani Releasing at the Cite de Memoire laboratory (Paris) from the original 35 mm image and sound negatives preserved by LTC Patrimoine.
In an email interview, we asked New York-based writer and producer Gil Quito how "Bona" was chosen for Cannes. He explained, "Vincent Paul-Boncour, chief of Paris-based Carlotta Films, had long been interested in seeing Bona ever since he heard about it from the late Pierre Rissient, who brought the film to the Cannes Director's Fortnight in 1981. His interest increased later while talking about it with Pearl Chan and Ariel Esteban Cayer of Hong Kong-based Kani Film Releasing company.
"Vincent and I became friends after we presented Mike de Leon's restored Itim at the Cannes Classics in 2022. One day, he asked me if I happen to have a copy of Bona in my archive. I did have one with burned-in French subtitles that Philippine cinema collector Jojo de Vera had given me decades ago. I sent the film to Vincent with a note that it's in poor, sub-VHS, quality, but that it was the best that was available. Seeing even this poor copy made Vincent determined to find the film if possible and restore it.
"Soon after, with the patient and able collaboration of Vicky Belarmino of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, plus some kibitzing from me, Vincent negotiated rights with National Artist Nora Aunor who had produced the film under her short-lived NV Productions. Chan and Cayer of Kani then became Carlotta's partners in the rights acquisition and restoration of the film. Later, Vincent traveled to the Philippines to pay his respects to Nora, accompanied by Adolfo Alix, director of Nora's recent films, and Vicky Belarmino.
"Rissient's concern for the safety of Bona proved to be fortunate because sometime later, there was a big fire at the house of Nora's brother, Ed Villamayor, where the NV Productions negatives and prints were stored. None of these survived the fire.
"Philippine Cinema owes Rissient a real debt of gratitude, as it was he who also consigned the negatives of Brocka's Manila in the Claws of Light and Insiang, as well as Mike de Leon's Itim at the British Film Institute archive, thus the glowing restored versions we can now experience. All three have been selected for the Cannes Classis and released by Carlotta in France. The Criterion Collection has released the two Brocka films in the United States. Both the French and US releases include fervent introductions by Brocka admirer, Martin Scorsese.
"As it turned out, the French lab LTC had closed down and liquidated its vast jumble of films that contained everything from ethnographic curiosities to genre films and obscure foreign titles, some of which had become detached from their identifiers. The lab Cité de Mémoire eventually took over the LTC storage, and did a laborious inventory, paying attention to the search for any surviving Bona elements. They eventually got back to Vincent with news that all the elements had been found, and quite well-preserved at that. Thus began the work by Carlotta, Kani, and Cité de Mémoire of restoring Bona with hopes along the way that it would be selected for Cannes Classics."
Quito added that those who were involved in the decision-making of the inclusion of the restored "Bona" in this year's festival was "the head of the Cannes Classics section Gérald Duchaussoy. He is the first major decision-maker as to which films would make it for further consideration. It was cause for hope therefore when Vincent e-mailed team Bona that Duchaussoy found the film to be among the strongest titles so far of this year's submissions. Not a done deal though as further rigorous sifting of the candidates in a very competitive field of international classics is made as usual, reaching all the way to Cannes Festival Director Thierry Frémaux himself, before any candidate could make it to the Salle Buñuel at the Palais des Festivals, where the Cannes Classics seances (the term used at Cannes for screenings, as if spirits were involved as well) are usually held.
"Thierry Frémaux, the face of the Cannes Film Festival, who with glamour and circumstance welcomes cast and crew of Official Competition films up the red carpet into the Grand Theatre Lumiere like conquering heroes, is very attached to Philippine cinema, as Vincent relates. It was with Frémaux's strong endorsement that the restored versions of Manila, Insiang, and Itim were selected for their Cannes Classics premieres. Vincent recalls that Frémaux was very close to Rissient who would tell him (as well as the young cinephile group of Vincent) of the many great Philippine films to discover, endorse, and present. With their shared connection with Rissient, Vincent says that it is a personal thrill for him that Frémaux and Duchaussoy have fallen under the spell of Bona and selected it for this year's edition."
Quito added, "I expect to see Bianca Balbuena and Bradley Liew, who will be at Cannes for 'Viet and Nam' a Vietnamese film that they co-produced and which has been selected for the Un Certain Regard. I've heard actress/producer Sylvia Sanchez will be at the Cannes marché, so I wouldn't be surprised either to see her at the Bona premiere.
"Of the Bona team, Vicky Belarmino will be there. Philippine cinema collector and Nora Aunor friend and adviser Jojo de Vera is also flying in. So with Chan and Cayer of Kani Releasing, having acquired and co-produced the film's 4K restoration, with the intent of releasing it in the United States. I don't have information on Professor JB Capino's plans, but there are hopes that he can make it. Direk Adolfo Alix, who has also become an integral part of the Bona team, is endeavoring to get a break from his commitments at GMA and attend the premiere.
"Ashley Clark of Criterion Collection is always interested in Philippine film classics, especially Brocka, and I expect him to be there. And American writer-director Sean Baker who has a film this year in the Cannes Official Competition, posted the following in big bold letters on his Instagram upon hearing news of Bona: "Omg! I must see this in Cannes."
"The big question: Will Nora Aunor make it to the premiere? It will depend very much on her current health situation."
Producer Bianca Balbuena also mentioned to us by email, "Actually, we are well represented in Cannes in all sections except the main competition."
"Viet and Nam" which she co-produced with Bradley Liew is a Cannes selection at the Un Certain Regard. It is about two young miners, Viet and Nam.
In an interview lead producer Liew said, "Making this film was a combination of belief in the material, along with over a decade of friendship with the director. Viet and Nam explores the love, dreams and trauma of multiple generations of a country's children, but always through the lens of hope."
According to Balbuena, "It also got FDCP's ASEAN Co-Production Fund."
Filmmaker Arvin Alindogan Belarmino has two short films in this year's Cannes Film Festival - "Radikals" which competes in the 63rd Semaine de la Critique-Cannes and "Silig" which is co-directed by Lomorpich Rithy at the Quinzaine des Cineastes Factory and has Paris-based cinematographer Ryan Arbilo as the Director of Photography.
The four short films which will be showcased include the following: "Walay Balay," "Nightbirds," "Silig," and "Cold Cut."
"Walay Balay," directed by Eve Baswel (Philippines) and Gogularaajan Rajendran (Malaysia), is the portrait of a mother and daughter who were evacuated during wartime to a safe neighborhood which they will call home, until they receive an official letter approving their relocation. It is starred by Shaina Magdayao and Ruby Ruiz.
"Nightbirds," directed by Maria Estela Paiso (Philippines) and Ashok Vish (India), is about the mystical Tigmamanukan bird that is sent by the bird council to help Ivy break free from her husband who dilapidates the couple's money at cockfighting. The short film stars Pokwang.
"Silig," directed by Arvin Belarmino (Philippines) and Lomorpich Rithy (aka YoKi) (Cambodia), talks about the story of a stubborn and feisty Mamang, dying from cancer, who went back to her hometown to organize her cremation. This film stars Sylvia Sanchez and Angel Aquino.
"Cold Cut," directed by Don Eblahan (Philippines) and Tan Siyou (Singapore), is about Joy, a 19-year-old student from a sleepy beach town, who signs up as a contestant at the local talent show. As she enters the audition building, a chance encounter with a mysterious butcher leads her farther away from the audition site into an increasingly strange world.
—MGP, GMA Integrated News
