PORTRAIT of the ARTIST as FILIPINO
From www.philstar.com
Three National Artists in restored Portrait
Vic Silayan flanked by Naty Crame-Rogers (left) and Daisy Avellana
The new digitally restored A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino will be exhibited for the first time at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Little Theater on April 25, Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Three National Artists participated in the making of Portrait: Nick Joaquin (literature), Bert Avellana (theater and cinema) and his wife Daisy Hontiveros-Avellana (theater).
The showing of Portrait will be preceded by the launch of the commemorative book Contra Mundom, written by Angelo Lacuesta, with images selected by Mike de Leon and Cesar Hernando.
The restoration of Portrait was financed by the Film Development Council of the Philippines and Mike de Leon, son of the film’s producer, Atty. Manny de Leon.
The premiere of the restored classic is timed with its 50th year, first shown in 1965. 2015 is also the birth centennials of director Avellana and Atty. De Leon.
The book launch will be held at 5:30 p.m. at the CCP Little Theater lobby, to be followed by the showing of Portrait.
Portrait starred Daisy Avellana as Candida and Naty Crame-Rogers as Paula, impoverished spinster sisters holding on to hold values in the ‘40s, shortly before World War II. Their father was played by Pianing Vidal, Don Lorenzo Marasigan, a distinguished painter whose highly priced self-portrait could rescue them from hard times.
Co-starring Portrait were Vic Silayan, Conrad Parham, Nick Agudo, Sarah Joaquin, Koko Trinidad, Oscar Keese, Veronica Palileo, Manny Ojeda, Rino Bermudez, Alfred Xeres-Burgos, Nena Ledesma, Polly Anders and with the special participation of Miriam Jurado.
A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino, written by Nick Joaquin, upon which the classic film was based, is the most important Filipino play written in English.
Screenplay by Donato Valentin and Trinidad Reyes, cinematography by Mike Accion, music by Mike Velarde Jr. —RKC
From www.inquirer.net
Restoring a classic film like Lamberto V. Avellana’s “A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino” can be compared to a treasure hunt, and in some instances, to assembling a giant jigsaw puzzle.
It can also be like an archaeological dig, said elusive filmmaker Mike de Leon, who is spearheading the digital restoration of the 1965 film produced by his late father, Manuel de Leon.
“Restoring films … is like unearthing artifacts; [in this case, digging up] actual documents from a bygone era,” said the award-winning director behind such screen gems as “Itim,” “Batch ’81” and “Kisapmata.”
Restoring “Portrait” can also be considered a landmark cultural event, declared De Leon, as the film showcases “the work of three national artists.”
Explained Briccio Santos, chair of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP): “The film was adapted from a play by Nick Joaquin, was directed by Lamberto Avellana, and top-billed by Daisy Hontiveros-Avellana. All three of them are national artists, which underlines the film’s cultural significance.”
Great heritage value
“Portrait” also has great heritage value, Santos added of the restored classic that premieres at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) on April 25. “The film pays homage to the walled city of Intramuros and our people’s collective memory.”
Sadly, said De Leon, he can’t stress enough the urgency of the need to preserve our film heritage.
“It is sad to state that, to my knowledge, there is no longer any complete 35mm film original of any movie from that era,” the filmmaker said. “As in other works of art in other disciplines like music, painting and architecture, we have lost so much and are losing much more still.”
“Portrait,” whose restoration was partly funded by the FDCP and the National Film Archive of the Philippines (NFAP), premieres in April, which marks the Avellana classic’s 50th anniversary, as well as the birth centennial year of its director (Avellana, in February), and producer (the older De Leon, in April).
The younger De Leon expressed the hope that the film classic would find an audience among today’s youth despite its dismal box office showing in 1965 when he first saw it.
“My classmates at Ateneo shared my perplexity: Why was the film in English? When it failed miserably at the box office, I thought it was because of the English dialogue.”
Three National Artists participated in the making of Portrait: Nick Joaquin (literature), Bert Avellana (theater and cinema) and his wife Daisy Hontiveros-Avellana (theater).
The showing of Portrait will be preceded by the launch of the commemorative book Contra Mundom, written by Angelo Lacuesta, with images selected by Mike de Leon and Cesar Hernando.
The restoration of Portrait was financed by the Film Development Council of the Philippines and Mike de Leon, son of the film’s producer, Atty. Manny de Leon.
The premiere of the restored classic is timed with its 50th year, first shown in 1965. 2015 is also the birth centennials of director Avellana and Atty. De Leon.
The book launch will be held at 5:30 p.m. at the CCP Little Theater lobby, to be followed by the showing of Portrait.
Co-starring Portrait were Vic Silayan, Conrad Parham, Nick Agudo, Sarah Joaquin, Koko Trinidad, Oscar Keese, Veronica Palileo, Manny Ojeda, Rino Bermudez, Alfred Xeres-Burgos, Nena Ledesma, Polly Anders and with the special participation of Miriam Jurado.
A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino, written by Nick Joaquin, upon which the classic film was based, is the most important Filipino play written in English.
Screenplay by Donato Valentin and Trinidad Reyes, cinematography by Mike Accion, music by Mike Velarde Jr. —RKC
From www.inquirer.net
Daisy Hontiveros-Avellana (left) as Candida, Naty Crame-Rogers as Paula. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/Mike de Leon
Restoring a classic film like Lamberto V. Avellana’s “A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino” can be compared to a treasure hunt, and in some instances, to assembling a giant jigsaw puzzle.
It can also be like an archaeological dig, said elusive filmmaker Mike de Leon, who is spearheading the digital restoration of the 1965 film produced by his late father, Manuel de Leon.
“Restoring films … is like unearthing artifacts; [in this case, digging up] actual documents from a bygone era,” said the award-winning director behind such screen gems as “Itim,” “Batch ’81” and “Kisapmata.”
Restoring “Portrait” can also be considered a landmark cultural event, declared De Leon, as the film showcases “the work of three national artists.”
Explained Briccio Santos, chair of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP): “The film was adapted from a play by Nick Joaquin, was directed by Lamberto Avellana, and top-billed by Daisy Hontiveros-Avellana. All three of them are national artists, which underlines the film’s cultural significance.”
Great heritage value
“Portrait” also has great heritage value, Santos added of the restored classic that premieres at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) on April 25. “The film pays homage to the walled city of Intramuros and our people’s collective memory.”
Sadly, said De Leon, he can’t stress enough the urgency of the need to preserve our film heritage.
“It is sad to state that, to my knowledge, there is no longer any complete 35mm film original of any movie from that era,” the filmmaker said. “As in other works of art in other disciplines like music, painting and architecture, we have lost so much and are losing much more still.”
“Portrait,” whose restoration was partly funded by the FDCP and the National Film Archive of the Philippines (NFAP), premieres in April, which marks the Avellana classic’s 50th anniversary, as well as the birth centennial year of its director (Avellana, in February), and producer (the older De Leon, in April).
The younger De Leon expressed the hope that the film classic would find an audience among today’s youth despite its dismal box office showing in 1965 when he first saw it.
“My classmates at Ateneo shared my perplexity: Why was the film in English? When it failed miserably at the box office, I thought it was because of the English dialogue.”
From www.pep.ph
The restoration of the 1965 film A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS FILIPINO, directed by celebrated National Artist for Theater and Film, LAMBERTO AVELLANA, is now complete. The restored classic premiered last night, April 25, 2015 at the CCP Little Theater. The project was co-financed by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FCDP), the National Film Archives of the Philippines (NFAP), and distinguished director-cinematographer MIKE DE LEON, and was conducted at the L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratories in Bologna, Italy.
In accordance with NFAP mission, the restoration aims to help uphold Filipino film heritage and preserve as many Filipino cinema classics as possible. This is the third restoration project between FDCP and the Italy-based film laboratory, the previous two being the 1950 MANUEL CONDE film GENGHIS KAHN and the 1975 LINO BROCKA classic MAYNILA: SA MGA KUKO NG LIWANAG, both restored in 2012.
MAYNILA went to win Best Archive Restoration/Preservation Title at the 11th FOCAL (Federation of Commercial Audiovisual Libraries) International Awards last April 30, 2014.
NFAP acquired Avellana’s PORTRAIT from legendary cinematographer and producer, Mike de Leon when he deposited it along with other elements from his private collection in 2011. Before being housed at NFAP, the film was kept at the Asian Film Archive in Singapore after the LVN Film Archive closed shop in 2005. MANUEL DE LEON, father of Mike de Leon, passed the film down to his son.
The restoration celebrates both the birthday centennial of director Avellana (February 12, 1915), and his 24th death anniversary, which falls on the date of the premiere last night.
First published by National Artist for Literature, Nick Joaquin, A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS FILIPINO tells the story of the two spinsters sisters, Candida and Paula Marasigan during the last few years of Intramuros before the dawn of World War II. The plot details the decline of Intramuros from a once center of arts, literature, education and poetry, to a dilapidated city slum amidts the growing parasitic new age of commercialism and social decline.
It is a story worth telling. A masterpiece that proves itself timeless, regardless of which generation it touches.
The famous blackout scene at the end of the first act where Candida (played turthfully by National Artist for Theater DAISY AVELLANA) breaks down after realizing how laughable they are with their paranoia was what hit me the most. It is a moment in the film where one gets to mirror all your personal desperation and hopelessness combined. It was initially pathetic but eventually tragic. The breakdown scene proves itself a classic scene in the history of Philippine Cinema.
MS. NATY CRAME-ROGERS, age 92, graced the world premiere at the CCP with her presence. She is the only living cast member of the 1950 film production. She was the supporting role of Paula Marasigan, the youngest sibling of the great Marasigan clan. PORTRAIT was Ms. Crame-Rogers’ first acting debut, and it was received in great esteem during its time.
To commemorate the centennial of both Avellana and producer Manuel de Leon, as well as the 50th year for the film, a commemorative book entitled CONTRA MUNDUM was launched alongside the world premiere. Written by Angelo R. Lacuesta and published by Mike de Leon, the book presents a comprehensive summary of the history of PORTRAIT as a film, a literary masterpiece and covers the nitty-gritty process of its priceless restoration.
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