KANYA-KANYANG RIZAL A Festival of Films on Jose Rizal's Life and Works 19-23 June 2000 In commemoration of the Philippine Month of Independence and the Birth Anniversary of National Hero, Jose Rizal, the U.P. Film Center Cinemalibre Film Society presents, Kanya-Kanyang Rizal, a week-long festival of films on the life and works of Jose Rizal, by some of the country's most respected filmmakers, including National Artist for Film, Gerardo de Leon. This cinematic showcase culminates in a Panel Discussion where filmmakers, actors, and historians will attempt to further explore and reconcile various narratives and representations of Jose Rizal in Philippine Cinema. Guest panelists include, among others: writer/director Mario O'Hara, actor Joel Torre, Dr. Bienvenido Lumbera of the U.P. Department of Filipino, Dr. Patrick Flores of the U.P. Department of Art Studies, and Dr. Noelle Rodriguez of the Ateneo Department of History. Professor Eli Guieb of the U.P. Department of Filipino will moderate. June 19 MONDAY 3 PM JOSE RIZAL: Ang Buhay ng Isang Bayani (1996) Jose Rizal - national hero, textbook figure, and everyman - comes to life in this video-documentary based on Rizal’s own diaries, letters, essays and other writings. A visual feast for the eye and the mind, which speaks to the heart of him who would be a hero in his own time. Direction: Butch Nolasco Teleplay: JC Capino Produced by: History Department of Ateneo de Manila University & Bookmark,Inc. Cast: Pen Medina, Joonee Gamboa, Jaime Lam, Saguisag Matienzo 60 min Color Video courtesy of Bookmark, Inc. June 19 MONDAY 6 PM NOLI ME TANGERE (1961) Written in 1887, Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere is considered "the greatest achievement of modern Filipino literature." Equally distinguished is this restored film version, by master director Gerardo de Leon, which won the FAMAS award for best picture, director, supporting actor and supporting actress in 1961. Crisostomo Ibarra, an ilustrado educated in Europe, returns to his country to find it besieged by "a corrupt government, an abusive clergy, extensive poverty" and a discontented populace. Unforgettable characters include the modest Maria Clara - the bastard daughter of notorious Padre Damaso, the madwoman Sisa, the town fool Pilosopong Tasyo, and Elias, the revolutionary. Direction: Gerardo de Leon Screenplay: Gerardo de Leon and Jose Flores Sibal Produced by: Antonio R. Riva / ARRIVA Productions Cast: Eddie del Mar, Edita Vital, Leopoldo Salcedo, Robert Arevalo Black & White 35mm print courtesy of Antonio R. Riva/ARRIVA Productions & the Philippine Information Agency June 20 TUESDAY 3 PM SISA (1951) In this archival treasure directed by National Artist for Film, Gerardo de Leon, Sisa - a character from Rizal’s novel Noli Me Tangere and mother to Basilio and Crispin - comes to grief when one son is beaten to death by the local priest and the other becomes a fugitive, because of trumped-up charges by the church sacristan. She soon goes mad after being hounded and raped by the guardia civil. Winner of the 1961 Maria Clara Awards for Best Director and Best Actress (Anita Linda). Direction: Gerardo de Leon Screenplay: Teodorico Santos Produced by: Premiere Productions Cast: Anita Linda, Reynaldo Dante, Eddie del Mar, Eddie Infante Black & White 16mm print courtesy of the National Historical Institute & Philippine Information Agency June 20 TUESDAY 6 PM SISA (1998) A film which dares to imagine an "alternative historiography" of Jose Rizal by working the figure of Rizal into the "society and sexuality" of Sisa, a character in Noli Me Tangere. Direction & Screenplay: Mario O’Hara Produced by: Regal/Good Harvest Cast: Gardo Verzosa, Patrick Guzman, Aya Medel Color 35mm print courtesy of Regal Entertainment June 21 WEDNESDAY 3 & 6 PM JOSE RIZAL (1998) A highly textured drama on the life and times of the country’s most celebrated Hero. The most expensive Philippine movie ever made, the film focuses on Rizal as an artist and visionary who inspired a revolution and was "the catalyst for the struggle for independence." Direction: Marilou Diaz Abaya Screenplay: Ricardo Lee, Jun Lana and Peter Ong Lim Produced by: GMA Films Cast: Cesar Montano, Joel Torre, Gloria Diaz, Gina Alajar, Gardo Versoza 178 mins Color 35mm print courtesy of GMA Films June 22 THURSDAY 3 PM RIZAL SA DAPITAN (1997) Set in 1892, this award-winning film chronicles Rizal’s life during his four-year internal exile in Dapitan, a backwater town in Zamboanga. In this tropical paradise seething with undercurrents of rebellion , Rizal meets Josephine Bracken, an 18-year-old Eurasian orphan travelling with a stepfather, who takes more than a fatherly interest in her. Despite being branded a heretic by the local priest, Rizal runs a school for indigent boys. However, his affair with Josephine, condemned by both the church and his family, becomes his all-consuming passion. Director: Tikoy Aguiluz Screenplay: Jose F. Lacaba Produced by: MovPix International, Inc./Independent Cinema Association of the Philippines Cast: Albert Martinez, Amanda Page, Candy Pangilinan, Rustica Carpio, Tess Dumpit, Pen Medina 100 minutes Color 35mm print from MovPix International, Inc. June 23 FRIDAY 2:30 PM SYMPOSIUM: Kanya-Kanyang Rizal Filmmakers, actors and historians as guest panelists explore various narratives and representations of National Hero, Jose Rizal, in Philippine cinema. | CODE RED | JUNE 2000 SKED | PHILMOVIES | ARCHIVES & LIBRARY | HOME | © UP Film Center