Bona (film)
| Bona | |
|---|---|
 Official poster of the film for the 1980 Metro Manila Film Festival | |
| Directed by | Lino Brocka |
| Written by | Cenen Ramones |
| Produced by | Nora Villamayor |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Conrado Baltazar |
| Edited by | Augusto Salvador |
| Music by | Lutgardo Labad |
Production company | NV Productions |
| Distributed by | NV Productions |
Release date |
|
Running time | 85 minutes |
| Country | Philippines |
| Language | Filipino |
| Box office | ₱13 million |
Bona is a 1980 Filipino drama film directed by Lino Brocka from a story and screenplay written by Cenen Ramones. The film tells the story of a fan becoming infatuated with the bit actor from a movie but the endless infatuation comes with unfortunate results. The film stars acclaimed actress Nora Aunor as the titular character and Phillip Salvador, one of Brocka's frequent collaborator actors, as the bit actor Gardo.
Produced by Aunor's production company NV Productions and released as one of the official entries to the 6th Metro Manila Film Festival on December 25, 1980,[1] the film was also shown at the Directors' Fortnight of the 1981 Cannes International Film Festival, marking Brocka's second appearance at the festival and also, it gave Aunor her second "Best Actress" award from Gawad Urian.
A restored version of the film will premiere at the Cannes Classics section in the 2024 edition of the Cannes Film Festival.[2]
Cast[edit]
- Nora Aunor as Bona
- Phillip Salvador as Gardo
- Raquel Montesa as Nancy
- Rustica Carpio as Bona's mother
- Marissa Delgado as Katrina
- Venchito Galvez as Bona's father
- Nanding Josef as Nilo
- Spanky Manikan as Bona's brother
- Archi Adamos as Tambay
- Rene Hawkins as Rene
- Joel Lamangan as Director
- The PETA Kalinangan Ensemble
- Naty Mallares
Release[edit]
Television[edit]
In the United Kingdom, the film was screened on BBC2 on February 9, 1986.[3]
Festivals[edit]
- 1981 - Official Selection, Directors’ Fortnight, Cannes International Film Festival
- 1981 - Official Selection, Critics’ Choice Section, 25th London Film Festival, November 12
- 1988 - Tribute to Directors, 10th Festival Des 3 Continents, Nantes, November 15–22[4]
- 1991 - Tribute to Lino Brocka, 13th Festival Des 3 Continents, Nantes, November 26 – December 3[5]
- 1996 - Fest96: The AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival, October 26
- 1999 - Feature Film: Tribute to Asian Master Lino Brocka, Telluride Film Festival
- 2005 - Official Selection, Lino Brocka Retrospective, 23rd Torino Film Festival, November 15
- 2024 - Official Selection, Cannes Classics, Cannes Film Festival[2]
Reception[edit]
Critical reception[edit]
Bona has been considered as one of the Philippines' greatest movies. It was also cited as one of "The Best 100 Films in the World" by the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, USA in 1997 and has been screened in different film festivals around the world, albeit receiving mixed reviews.[6]
Barbara Wurm, Berlin- and Vienna-based film historian, critic, and programmer, described Philippine cinema's Superstar as "the awesome Nora Aunor", during the film's screening at the 47 Vienna International Film Festival in 2009.[7][8][9]
Accolades[edit]
| Year | Group | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Figueira da Foz International Film Festival | Premio de le Juri de la Federacion Internationale des Cine Clubs (Jury Prize of the International Federation of Cinema Clubs) | Won | |
| 1981 | Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) Awards | Best Actress | Nora Aunor | Nominated |
| Gawad Urian Awards (Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino) | Best Actress | Nora Aunor | Won | |
| Best Actor | Philip Salvador | Nominated | ||
| Best Director | Lino Brocka | Nominated | ||
| Best Picture | Nominated |
Stage adaptation[edit]
The Philippine Educational Theater Association staged an adaptation of the film from August 24 to September 23, 2012, at the Peta Theater Center. The adaptation was written by Layeta Bucoy and directed by Socrates "Soxie" Topacio. Eugene Domingo played Bona while Edgar Allan Guzman played Gino Sanchez, the stage counterpart of the film's Gardo.[10]
References[edit]
- ^ "Nora Aunor Filmography". Archived from the original on February 20, 2008. Retrieved January 24, 2013.
- ^ a b "Cannes Classics 2024". Festival de Cannes. April 25, 2024. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
- ^ "Film International: Bona". BBC Genome. BBC. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
- ^ "Festival 1988: Tribute to Directors". Festival Des 3 Continents. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
- ^ "Festival 1991: Tribute to Lino Brocka". Festival Des 3 Continents. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
- ^ Van Gelder, Lawrence (September 19, 1984). "'BONA' GIVES A GLIMPSE OF LIFE IN THE PHILIPPINES". The New York Times. Retrieved January 24, 2013.
- ^ Wurm, Barbara (April 5, 2010). "Leftist Glamour? or, Home Runs and Explorations: The 47th Viennale: Vienna International Film Festival". Archived from the original on April 9, 2010. Retrieved January 24, 2013.
- ^ Foerster, Lukas (October 29, 2009). "CARGO auf der Viennale". Archived from the original on September 15, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2013.
- ^ "RacsOview: Bona (1980)". Retrieved January 24, 2013.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Ang, Walter (August 19, 2012). "Eugene Domingo: From 'Kimmy Dora' to 'Bona'". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Inquirer Group of Companies. Archived from the original on August 22, 2012. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
Further reading[edit]
- Tobias, Mel. One hundred acclaimed Tagalog movies. Canada: Peanut Butter Publishing, 1998.
