Bona returns home to the Philippines

After its successful run at the Cannes Film Festival, classic Filipino Bona returns home to the Philippines and closes the 20th edition of the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival on August 10, 8:30pm, at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay (Cinema 2, 8, 9, 10). 

Directed by National Artist Lino Brocka and written by Cenen Ramones, the film Bona is a story of a middle-class school girl who skips classes to hang around with minor actors on the sets of low-budget films. When her father attempts to beat some sense into her, Bona moves into Gardo’s shack in the slums, delighted to play house–only to find herself not the wife, but the maid.

National Artist Nora Aunor played the titular role, along with actors Philip Salvador, Marissa Delgado, Raquel Monteza, Rustica Carpio, Venchito Galvez, Nanding Josef, and Spanky Manikan, introducing the PETA Kalinangan Ensemble.

Since its release in 1980, Bona has remained largely unseen until it was rediscovered by University of Illinois professor Jose B. Capino when he was researching and interviewing people for his book on Brocka. 

In 2023, Carlotta Films and Kani Releasing initiated the restoration of the film. The 4k restoration from the original 35 mm image was carried out at Cité de Mémoire laboratory in Paris, France, while the sound restoration from the negatives preserved by LTC Patrimoine was handled by L.E. Diapason.

Conferred with the National Artist Award in 1997, Brocka was known for espousing the term “freedom of expression” in the Philippine Constitution. Brocka took his social activist spirit to the screen, leaving behind 66 films which breathed life and hope for the marginalized sectors of society — slum-dwellers, prostitutes, construction workers. 

He also directed for theater with equal zeal and served in organizations that offer alternative visions, like the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) and the Concerned Artists of the Philippines (CAP). 

At the same time, he garnered awards and recognition from various institutions. Brocka bequeathed to the Philippine a heritage of cinematic harvest, a bounty of stunning images, memorable conversations that speak volumes on love, betrayal and redemption, pestilence and plenty all pointing towards the recovery and rediscovery of the Philippine nation.

Meanwhile, Aunor has an extensive filmography with 170 films and has received a number of awards and citations from local and international organizations. 

Apart from her film Bona, she played notable roles in The Flor Contemplacion Story (1995) and Naglalayag (2009). he received her first Best Actress victories at the Gawad Urian and FAMAS in her role in Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos (1976). The film Himala (1982) gave her various awards including the CNN APSA Viewer’s Choice Award for Best Asia Pacific Film of all Time in 2008. She was awarded National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts in 2022.

Tickets are priced at Php 300 (Php 560 for Cinema 8), and available at Ayala Ticketing Counter or online through sureseats.com. 

For more information, visit the CCP website (www.culturalcenter.gov.ph) and the Cinemalaya website (www.cinemalaya.org). Follow the official CCP and Cinemalaya Facebook pages and other social media accounts on X, Instagram, and TikTok.