Wednesday, October 5, 2016

An Open Door

I was browsing on Instagram during my lunch break yesterday when I saw a photo of Anita Linda and Paul Soriano (a Filipino film director).

Anita Linda and Paul Soriano
image source: @paulsoriano1017

Born in early 1920s, Anita Linda is a Filipina actress who is active in the entertainment industry since the 1940s 'til now. I used to watch her movies as a child with my siblings. The black and white Filipino movies from as early as the 1930s aka the PPP (Piling Piling Pelikula) were the only choice on TV after the noon time variety show Eat Bulaga. Well, that was what we only knew since we had only one channel in our box type wooden Toshiba TV. Just Channel 9.

She was very pretty, mestiza, and played maldita in some of her old movies. I can't believe that at almost 92 years old, she is still a working actress in movies. She's just phenomenal!

This 5-minute short film directed by Paul Soriano starring Anita Linda made me cry. It made me proud to be Filipino. I told the little sister to let her Jewish boss watch this film. Sshh! Her boss liked Pres. Rodrigo Duterte until she learned about his insensitive remarks on Holocaust/Hitler. The Philippine president apologized already, and my little sister explained about it too to her boss.

This film is short but very touching. Watch it! Thank me later for sharing.



Years ago, there was also a documentary about how the Philippines saved 1,300 Jews from the Nazis. It is with the same title as the short story above but it was done by a different film maker based in Washington DC, Noel Izon. I've watched the documentary several times already. Here's the link for the trailer of the film.


7 comments:

Twilight Man said...

It is amazing that she is 92 and still looks healthy, pretty and alert. I must say that I always admire the Filipino culture and its people & food. Most Filipinos are very good looking too amongst the Asians.

jonathan said...

Very touching and when that last quote came in, it was admiring of the past president. I do not even know this in our history, my bad. And yes, thank you for sharing. Makes me proud to be a Filipino as well.

Anita Linda is a fave actress, and visible in many of the movies I had seen in my younger days.

Hi! I am LiLi! said...

Thank you.

Hi! I am LiLi! said...

You're welcome, Jon.

There was a documentary I watched years ago with the same title but with different filmmaker. You should watch it too. Here's the trailer. --> https://youtu.be/Wq--fABVaYo

crybaby said...

moving.

Arvin U. de la Peña said...

Kumusta na..salamat sa pagiging bahagi sa walong taon ng blog ko..thank you....isa ka sa pinapasalamatan ko....

Happy 8 years......

mike said...

i used to watch the b&w film as well after school. i'm glad that you still remember the name of the show (i.e. PPP) on channel 9. those were the good ol' golden years of philippine cinema. i remember watching some of the horror films in the middle of the afternoon and still get scared.

ah, those were the days that i miss the most living in P.I. (referencing Sen. Richard Gordon's comments)....ooppss, i mean philippines. :)

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