TACLOBAN CITY- Doing a film about supertyphoon Yolanda would at least ensure that the tragic incident would not be forgotten by the world. Thus said acting multiple winner and considered the Superstar of Philippine movies, Nora Aunor, when asked why she agreed to do the film about Yolanda and shot here in Tacloban, considered the ground zero of the world’s strongest typhoon to make landfall.
“Hopefully, this film will help the people not to forget on what happened here,” Aunor said. Aunor shot the film, tentatively titled as “Taklub,” in different parts of the city like at the Tacloban Convention Center and in Barangay 88, San Jose district. The movie, though considered to be of “indie,” as not being backed by a big film studio, is being directed by internationally acclaimed Brillante Mendoza. Mendoza recently won the best director award from the prestigious Cannes Film Festival for his film “Kinatay,” in 20012 becoming the first Filipino director to achieve such distinction. Aunor, herself winner of best actress awards from different international film circuits, plays a Yolanda survivor in the film along with award-winning actor Julio Diaz. The film is said to be shown by next year and not clear yet if it would be shown and compete at various film festivals abroad. Nora and the rest of the cast, who included her close friend John Rendez, filmed the movie for 12 days in Tacloban with her rabid fans and ordinary onlookers always present during the filming, causing some traffic and halting in some instances the filming.
Nita Baanyado, 64, said that she could not contain her happiness seeing her “all time movie idol.” “I’ve been her fan since she started her career as a singer,” she said, holding cut-out old pictures of the superstar. “I was not able to save some of our personal belongings but I made sure that my pictures of Nora will be safe,” Baanyado, a resident of Brgy.85, also in San Jose, said. She along with several others waited for hours just to see Aunor in person while shooting the film in Brgy. 88. The actress obliged for some photo opportunity with her fans. This Aunor- starrer film is the first movie with the onslaught of Yolanda as the backdrop. (JOEY A. GABIETA)
