10 April 2014 - As part of its activities commemorating the International Women’s Month, the Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu attended the special screening of the film documentary, “Marilou Diaz-Abaya: Filmmaker on Voyage” on April 6 at the Doris Duke Theater of Honolulu Museum of Art.
The film, which was written, produced and directed by Ms. Mona Lisa Yuchengco, tells the story of an exemplary Filipina and great filmmaker, the late Marilou Diaz-Abaya, who was one of the most successful and inspiring directors, television producers, and teachers that the Philippines has ever produced. Director Abaya was responsible for a roster of critically acclaimed and commercially popular films from the 1980s to her untimely death in 2012.
Director Abaya’s second feature, Brutal (1980), was the first Filipino film to deal with rape in a social justice framework. It played to surprising acclaim at a time when audiences preferred lighthearted fare, winning six awards at the Metro Manila Film Festival in 1980 and proved to be a box-office success. Long before the Philippines became the darling of world cinema, Diaz-Abaya continued through the 1980s and the 1990s to create some of the country’s most commendable works—as well as some of its toughest and most controversial. Her other works include Sa Pusod ng Dagat (In the Navel of the Sea, 1997), Jose Rizal (1998) and Muro Ami (Reef Hunters), 1999.
Ms. Marilou Diaz-Abaya’s career—from her first films to the foundation of her film academy in Antipolo City—as well as her spirituality, intelligence and drive were the highlights of Ms. Yuchengco’s film about the first lady of Philippine cinema.
An open forum followed the screening, with Ms. Yuchengco answering questions from the viewers. A simple salo-salo reception in honor of Ms. Yuchengco was also held at the lobby of the Doris Duke Theater.
The film screening was a project of the Filipino Association of University Women and the organizers of the 6th Filipino Film Festival. END