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Known for her expressive eyes and subtle acting, Nora Aunor shows in these award-winning films why she’s Philippine entertainment’s ‘Superstar’
MANILA, Philippines – There’s no Nora Aunor line more popular, perhaps, than “Walang himala!” (There’s no miracle).
It’s from the 1982 movie Himala, a religious drama masterpiece considered one of the Philippines’ all-time best films that starred Aunor, directed by Ishmael Bernal and written by Ricky Lee — all three eventually named National Artists.
Aunor proved her acting prowess many times over — in a filmography reaching over 170, according to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts — with starrers in award-winning movies like Minsa’y Isang Gamu-gamo (1976), Ikaw ay Akin (1978), Atsay (1978), Bona (1980), and Andrea, Paano Ba ang Maging Isang Ina?
Thankfully, Sagip Pelikula Project, a film restoration program by ABS-CBN Film Archives and Central Digital Lab, has brought to life many classic Filipino films, including several Aunor movies, allowing younger generations to appreciate the brilliance of the country’s one and only “Superstar.”
Here are some of Aunor’s restored classics:
Himala (1982)
Aunor stars as Elsa, a village lass who miraculously started healing the sick after seeing an apparition of the Virgin Mary.
The movie, set in the fictional small, barren town of Cupang, virtually swept the 1982 Metro Manila Film Festival awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress (Aunor), and Best Director (Bernal).
It also won a Bronze Hugo award in the Chicago International Film Festival and a Golden Bear nomination in the Berlin International Film Festival in 1983.
Minsa’y Isang Gamu-gamo (1976)
The award-winning film sees Aunor saying another one of her iconic lines: “My brother is not a pig!”
Cora (Aunor), a young Filipina nurse hoping for a better life, finds a way to work in the US. But just when she’s about to leave, her dream takes a heartbreaking turn when an American soldier shoots her brother, mistaking him for a wild boar.
The film is diirected by Lupita Aquino-Kashiwara and written by Marina Feleo-Gonzales.
Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos (1976)
The film follows Rosario (Aunor), a school teacher engaged to guerrilla fighter Crispin (Bembol Roco) during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines in the 1940s. But while he’s away, a Japanese military officer Masugi (Christopher de Leon) rapes her.
Directed by Mario O’Hara, the film won Best Picture in the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences Awards (FAMAS) and Best Actress nods for Aunor in the Gawad Urian and Famas.
T-Bird at Ako (1982)
The movie, starring two of Philippine cinema’s most celebrated actresses and rivals, plays out a different kind of tension on the big screen — the romantic kind.
T-Bird, a slang for lesbian, follows the story of lawyer Sylvia Salazar (Aunor), who gets attracted to local dancer Sabel (Vilma Santos) while she’s defending her homicide case.
It’s directed by Danny Zialcita and written by Portia Ilagan.
Banaue: Stairway To The Sky (1975)
Directed by Gerardo de Leon, the movie set in the country’s famed rice terraces tells the story of Banaue (Aunor), the chieftain’s daughter fighting to protect their tribe’s land from conquerors.
The film, which features nudity, is age-restricted on YouTube. – Rappler.com
Content shared from www.rappler.com.