Monday, October 7, 2013
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Lino Brocka’s Tubog sa Ginto MHL circa 1971
Lino Brocka’s Tubog sa Ginto MHL circa 1971
By Pablo A. Tariman (The Philippine Star) | Updated August
12, 2013
MANILA, Philippines - The good thing about YouTube is that
you can access old films that you thought have vanished with beepers and
telegraph messages.
An example of YouTube goldmine is Lino Brocka’s 1971 film
Tubog Sa Ginto starring Eddie Garcia, Lolita Rodriguez, Mario O’Hara and the
then teenage loveteam of Jay Ilagan and Hilda Koronel.
The story is a comics original by Mars Ravelo (with
illustration by Elpidio Torres) and it
appeared in the comics of one’s youth, Tagalog Klassiks. In the ’70s, talking
about homosexuality is still taboo but a few managed to invade the popular
medium enough to disturb the mindset of the polite society.
Like it or not, Brocka’s Tubog Sa Ginto in 1971 is what
the now popular teleserye My Husband’s Lover (MHL) is in 2013.
Here, the part of Tom Rodriguez was played valiantly by
Eddie Garcia with the role of Dennis Trillo going to the much younger Mario
O’Hara. The role of the martyr-wife now played by Carla Abellana was played by
the distinguished Lolita Rodriguez.
In the Brocka film, Garcia is Don Benito married to Doña
Emma played by Rodriguez. As the film opens with a birthday party for his son,
Santi (played by Ilagan), you get to see the character profile of the respected
patriarch. His eyes keep on
surreptitiously following his son’s friends in swimming trunks. As the
story progresses, you see Don Benito’s seduction scenes with the family driver,
Diego, then played by the very much
young O’Hara.
The film managed to give moviegoers a chance to see a good
family eventually break up as the patriarch’s pursues an unusual dalliance with
the family driver.
The son (Ilagan) has a love affair with a lovely teener
(Koronel) and later finds out the unusual happenings in the family set-up.
Discovering his husband’s love affair with the family
driver, Doña Emma couldn’t help turning to other men for comfort. The young
lovers discover Doña Emma’s other man during a movie date. And to make matters
worse, poor son accidentally discovers
his father’s liaison with another man.
The 1971 film has a well-thought-out script that allows
character studies of other protagonists in the story.
Seduced by his boss and later discovering that he can use
his body to improve his income, the family driver turns to blackmail. In one of
their supposed secret trysts, a photographer records their intimate moments.
The moment of truth shocks the boss.
In one drunken scene as he loses his blackmail money to
gambling, the driver turns to the wife and gets caught by the husband-lover.
The altercation between the two ends in a tragic end for the main protagonists.
The film was made before his classic Maynila sa mga Kuko
ng Liwanag and Tinimbang Ka Ngunit
Kulang. But already, Brocka showed his film sensibility in this 1971 film.
His excellent cast is of course a big bonus.
To get Garcia to act as gay macho man in the early ’70s
was a coup.
Here he delineates a respectable husband with a stable job
and a social status fit for the respectable middle upper class. Garcia’s
portrayal as the big boss and the
patriarch and then as the closet gay is indeed commendable as he wrestles with
the inner turmoil of his character. Rodriguez turns in a quiet but powerful
portrayal of a betrayed wife who must get even with the husband.
The film gives you a rare glimpse of O’Hara as a young
actor in a highly challenging role. From the innocent driver introduced to the
lure of the flesh from the same sex, he turns cunning in the end realizing he
can turn his boss’ obsession with him into cold cash.
The roles of Ilagan and Koronel in this film provide
a beautiful contrast to what the other
members of the family are going through in Tubog. The Ilagan-Koronel love team in this film is pure, young love
personified and the two are just perfect for the part. The disintegration of
the dutiful son after discovering his
father’s secret love life provides
Ilagan some acting challenge he was able to deliver. As for Koronel in this
film, she is the epitome of young love before the trial and tribulations.
In this film, Garcia received the Best Actor trophy while
Brocka ran off with the FAMAS Best Director citation.
In an interview with this author, Garcia admitted he had
no qualms accepting the part when it was offered to him in 1971.“It was a very
unusual role that comes once in an actor’s lifetime. What I particularly liked
about the part was the role is not the caricature of the Filipino gay. The
parts often played in the movies are the beauty-parlor-type and the
town-screaming faggot. In the role, nobody knows I was gay because I was
married, I have a teenage son (played by Ilagan) and I have a respectable job.
It was when I started looking for pick-up boys that my gayness comes to the
fore.”
The actor also intimated he researched quite a lot to
prepare for the part. “I asked my gay friends about what gives way to a fag
even if he looked macho.”
The actor once played gay in a film called Paru-Parung
Buking.
The late film critic Hammy Sotto noted that Tubog was
invited to the 1972 Venice Film Festival by Italian festival agent Luciano
Marzouli. At that time, Ilagan had problems with Lea Productions and for this
reason alone, the Blas sisters — who owned the studio — refused the invitation.
According to Sotto, Brocka was so downhearted he left Lea Productions.
One notes that Tubog…“was made some 42 years before Rustom
Padilla metamorphosed into BB Gandanghari and before Charice Pempengco made
headlines with her admission on her true sexual identity.”
Which means Brocka was ahead of his time and capable of
disturbing the status quo when he felt he had to.
One wondered if Brocka could have made a sequel of the
same film in these liberated times when same-sex marriage was no longer
shocking.
Compared with the Brocka film, the teleserye My Husband’s
Lover has very little insight to offer.
Brocka beat everyone to say in his early film that yes,
husbands had male lovers as early as 1971 but were only quite coy and secretive
about it for obvious reasons.
(http://www.philstar.com/entertainment/2013/08/12/1079551/lino-brockas-tubog-sa-ginto-mhl-circa-1971)
Hilda Koronel: ‘I am happier now’
Hilda Koronel: ‘I am happier now’
by Janet Nepales
September 11, 2013
Los Angeles – “I am happy where I am right now,” Hilda
Koronel said as she sat in a garden chair, dressed comfortably in a flowing
white skirt and flowery top. “I am now just a regular housewife and
semi-retired.”
For someone who just turned 56 last Jan. 17, Hilda looks
vibrant, youthful and blooming.
Now based in Los Angeles and happily married for 13 years
to Filipino-American businessman Ralph Moore Jr., Hilda took a break from show
business for seven years and did one movie recently, the Star Cinema film “The
Mistress,” which was directed by Olivia Lamasan and starred John Lloyd Cruz,
Bea Alonzo and Ronaldo Valdez.
“My kids are all grown up so I am trying to enjoy my
grandkids,” she said. (She has four grandkids)
Hilda has five children: Leona (with the late-actor Jay
Ilagan); Ivy (adopted); Isabel (with the late Bambi del Castillo); Gabby (with
Spanky Monserrat); and Diego (with Dr. Victor Reyes). She enjoys her quiet
domestic life as a simple housewife, mother and grandmother.
Recently, she made a splash again when the late Lino
Brocka’s 1975 film, “Maynila: Sa Mga Kuko Ng Liwanag,” was featured at the
Cannes Classics section of the recently held Cannes Film Festival this year.
“Maynila” was digitally restored by the World Cinema
Foundation, headed by Martin Scorsese. It was shown at the Salle Buñuel of the
Palais.
Of her recent Cannes experience, Hilda admitted that it
was a “bittersweet, fun, nerve-wracking and nostalgic experience. I thought of
Lino Brocka who brought us to Cannes the first time with ‘Insiang.’ He would
even do my hair and he would ask his fashion designer friends like Christian
Espiritu to do my gown. He was like my mom. We were proud to represent the Philippines.”
She noted, though, “Too bad Bembol was not able to come.
It was more his film.”
After seeing the movie again, she marveled, “I looked so
young and slim. I was only 17 years old then. The film looked really crisp. I
am glad they were able to restore it.”
The first time she went to Cannes in 1978, Hilda made a
splash at the Croisette where “Insiang” was screened at the Section
Parallèlle/Directors’ Fortnight. She remembers wearing a Christian Espiritu
gown that made the front page of the daily, France-Soir, upstaging Farrah
Fawcett.
This year, Hilda went to Cannes with her hubby Ralph, her
good friends Dr. Tess Mauricio and husband Dr. James Lee.
“It was raining at Cannes,” Hilda recalled. “Thank God it
stopped when we reached the red carpet or else it would have been hard for us
to walk around in the rain with an umbrella in our gowns,” she said. Forgoing a
designer gown for something off the rack, she pointed out, “There were a lot of
designers who were willing to dress me up but there was just no more time.”
Among the many stars on the red carpet, her eyes were
glued on the statuesque and lovely Nicole Kidman. “She was the first one we saw
and I just couldn’t take my eyes off her.”
She also recalled, “We were so nervous to be on the red
carpet. We said let us just go up. We were shy.”
Hilda confided, “I miss the people,” adding, “It will
always be my country. Filipinos are very warm. When I lived here in the US, it
was a culture shock for me. People here mind their own business. So I just got
busy with my children and my garden. It is so quiet. I was used to having my
own maids. I miss my maids!”
Speaking of Lino, she said, “He is very frank. You hurt
people when you are very frank. He says what is on his mind. He is like a
brother to me.”
On some of her leading men, Hilda revealed:
“Jay (Ilagan) and I were very young when we got married.
He entered show business earlier than me; he was a child actor. When he died in
that motorcycle accident, it was only six months difference when Lino died. Our
marriage was not going to work. He had so many girls. But we always put our
kids first before anything else.
“Walter Navarro, I heard, died horribly. I feel sorry for
him. He was very talented as a singer but very shy.
“Christopher de Leon was my best leading man. We are (of)
the same age and we were both talents of Lea Productions. Most of my films were
done with Boyet. He is very professional and a very good actor.”
As to doing more movies, “I don’t think my husband would
allow me,” she disclosed. “If he cannot go with me, I cannot do it.” She
disclosed that she got many offers to do indie films after “The Mistress” but
she declined.
Hilda married Ralph in May 2000 in Laughlin, Nevada. She
said one of the secrets of their marriage is their friendship. “We do
everything together and I always ask him first for his opinion before I do
anything. We respect each other in that sense. It is better to find out what
the other one is thinking before you do something.”
Ralph, looking at Hilda lovingly, said, “I love her. I
respect her. I believe God put us together. So I worked at that. For me, I
always think of her when I am at work. We text each other. She tells me
everything that she is doing.”
He added, “I am grateful to God. Every time I wake up and
she is lying beside me, I am grateful for another day with her. She is a
wonderful wife. Her cooking is amazing – the best cook in the world. I love her
dinuguan. I say, ‘Honey, stop but don’t stop. It’s so good, it’s bad. But it’s
so good.’”
Ralph admitted crying when he first saw “Maynila.” He
said, “I am so proud of her.” When he saw “Insiang” for the first time, “It was
emotionally disturbing for me to see her crying in the movie.”
He said he didn’t know Hilda Koronel the actress when they
first met because he was born in Oregon. “I just went to the Philippines when I
was eight years old. Now I try to watch bits and pieces of her movies on
YouTube… I was excited to see ‘Maynila’ in Cannes. I just wish I met Lino
Brocka, too.”
The two also are into healthy living, taking care of
themselves with good diet (organic food) and exercise.
Ralph, who is turning 60 years old this year, looks young
for his age, just like Hilda. They credit their youthful appearances not only
to healthy living and good attitude but also to Dr. Tess Mauricio’s
non-surgical Time Machine procedure, which is not actually a machine, but the
use of several machines to make a person look young and produce more collagen.
Hilda also added, “I am happier. I am not stressed. When I
was younger I was more high strung. Now all my kids are grown up and I just
have one son who is going to Nursing. I am more relaxed now. I feel that it is
now more about taking care of myself than my kids but I think of them all the
time.
“Now,
I take care of how I eat (and) maintain myself. Well-being is important now
that we are aging. We exercise daily so, hopefully, we will have 30 more years.
I am kinder to people. I have become a better person.”
Friday, May 24, 2013
Filipino classic with Hilda Koronel makes a splash at Cannes
Actress Hilda Koronel returns to Cannes for screening of ‘Maynila’
By Choy Navarro
Published Thursday, May 23, 2013
Over three decades after she first made a splash at the red carpet of the world’s biggest and most prestigious film festival, Hilda Koronel was again at Cannes when a Filipino film was cheered and heavily applauded at the fest’s Classics section.
“I am elated and a bit sad at the same time,” she said, as quoted by the ‘Philippine Daily Inquirer’ last Sunday. “I got sentimental upon seeing onscreen the old friends who are no longer with us, like [the late award-winning actor-writer-director] Mario O’Hara. How I wish they could have been here as well.”
Koronel plays the lead role as Ligaya Paraiso in the 1975 drama film ‘Maynila: Sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag’ (Manila: In the Claws of Brightness), directed by the late Lino Brocka, which was screened on May 17 at the ongoing film festival in the southern French coastal city of Cannes.
Considered by many as a classic Filipina beauty, Koronel said she was honoured to represent Brocka, a Philippine national artist for film, who died in a car crash in 1991. “It was a momentous occasion … inspiring,” she said.
In 1978, Koronel, now 56, also made a splash at the Croisette, where ‘Insiang’, another masterpiece of the legendary Brocka, was screened in the Section Parallèlle/Directors’ Fortnight. She also plays the lead role as Insiang in the movie, which was adapted from a teleplay of the same title by O’Hara.
She recalled that the highlight of her trip to Cannes 35 years ago was landing on the front page of the daily newspaper ‘France-Soir’, where she upstaged then-Hollywood ‘It’ girl Farrah Fawcett, whose photo was smaller than hers.
“I stayed only for a few days, but Lino and I were kept busy with pictorials and interviews with French, German and other European journalists,” Koronel said. Last week’s trip, she said, “brought back a lot of wonderful memories”.
The ‘Maynila’ film that was shown at Salle Buñuel of the Palais on Friday night is the digitally restored version of the Brocka classic spearheaded by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP).
The restoration was done with the help of Oscar-winning Hollywood director Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Foundation (WCF) and Mike de Leon, cinematographer and producer of ‘Maynila’.
Scorsese said that WCF was glad to have been a part in the restoration of ‘Maynila’. “It’s now difficult to watch a good print of Brocka’s movies,” he was quoted by the ‘Inquirer’ as saying. “It was urgent … to participate in this restoration.”
In his pre-taped video message for the ‘Maynila’ screening, Scorsese described Brocka as “a giant, towering filmmaker” whose films were “brave, extraordinary, powerful experiences”.
Pierre Rissient, the French filmmaker who was instrumental in having Brocka’s films first screened at Cannes in the late 70s, was hopeful for the restoration of more Brocka films after the screening of ‘Maynila’ where ardent film buffs applauded resoundingly and even lingered in the theatre lobby.
“I hope this would be the beginning of more restoration projects,” Rissient said. “I know of at least four Brocka films—‘Insiang’, ‘Bona’, ‘Jaguar’ [Bodyguard] and ‘Bayan Ko’ [My Country]—that need to be saved.”
Salvatore Leocata, the festival programmer from Brussels, called ‘Maynila’ “a masterpiece” while Philippines’ Lav Diaz, whose ‘Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan’ (North, the End of History) was also screened at this year’s 66th French film fest in Cannes, was amazed at how ‘Maynila’ has remained so “powerful” after all these years from when he first saw it while in college.
“My classmates and I kept debating about it afterwards,” he recalled. “It changed my perspective on cinema. It led me to filmmaking. It made me realise that film is not merely entertainment. Cinema could also be a potent tool for discourse.”
Adolfo Alix Jr, another Filipino filmmaker whose ‘Death March’, like ‘Hangganan’, was one of the more than 40 films chosen from 1,700 entries to compete in the Un Certain Regard section of this year’s Cannes film festival, said he was excited to see the climax of ‘Maynila’ again.
“It is one of the most powerful endings I have ever seen in a movie,” he stressed, revealing that he first saw ‘Maynila’ on VHS when he was still in high school.
Award-winning actress from Philippines Hilda Koronel at the 66th Cannes Film Festival during the fest’s Classics showcase of her ‘Maynila: Sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag’. (Twitter)
Hilda Koronel with husband Ralph Moore. (Twitter)
Hilda Koronel with her husband Ralph Moore (R) reunites with Pierre Rissient (L). (Twitter)
Hilda Koronel at the red carpet during the 66th Cannes Film Festival. (Twitter)
Actress Hilda Koronel. (Twitter)
Monday, May 20, 2013
Hilda Koronel graces screening of Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag in Cannes
May 19, 2013 Philippine Entertainment Portal ( http://www.pep.ph/guide/indie/11919/hilda-koronel-graces-screening-of-maynila-sa-mga-kuko-ng-liwanag-in-cannes/1/1 )
Festival De Cannes: ( http://www.festival-cannes.fr/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/11407616/year/2013.html )
Lino Brocka's 1975 film, Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag, was restored by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) in partnership with Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Foundation (WCF).
The said Brocka classic's restored version had its world premiere at the Cannes International Film Festival in France on May 17, 2013.
The Maynila premiere in Cannes was graced by the film’s lead actress, Hilda Koronel, herself a multi-awarded "Brocka baby."
On April 29, the festival officially announced its selection of Maynila as part of Cannes Classic, rounding up an unprecedented Philippine Cinema contingent in the world’s most prestigious film festival.
It has been announced earlier that Lav Diaz’s Hangganan ng Kasaysayan (starring Sid Lucero, Angeli Bayani, Archie Alemania) and Adolfo Alix Jr.’s Death March (Sid Lucero again, Sam Milby, Zanjoe Marudo) were competing in the Un Certain Regarde section.
Meanwhile, Erik Matti’s On the Job (starring Piolo Pascual and Gerald Anderson) were part of the Director’s Fortnight.
Three Filipino films are also included in the festival’s Short Film Corner namely Aiess Alonso’s Katapusang Labok, Carlo Manatad’s Oasis Redux, and Roderick Cabrido’s Mga Engkantong Laog sa Mahabang Dapithapon. The Filipino people through FDCP will be providing travel assistance accordingly to this contingent.
This new generation of filmmakers follows the steps of Brocka who has graced Cannes several times throughout his career.
The late great director has been in the main competition for the Palme D’Or in 1980 with Jaguar and in 1984 for Bayan Ko: Kapit sa Patalim, in Director’s Fortnight in 1978 for Insiang and in 1981 forBona, and in exhibition in 1989 for Orapronobis. And in 1986, Brocka served as a member of the Festival Jury.
Maynila is considered by many as Brocka’s magnum opus and one of Philippine Cinema’s greatest films.
It joins Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo (1958), Yasujirō Ozu’s An Autumn Afternoon (1962), Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor (1987), and other masterpieces from cinematographic history that have been carefully restored in time for the Cannes Classic section.
Maynila was restored on a 4k-3k-2k workflow by L’Immagine Ritrovata, the same laboratory that restored Manuel Conde’s Genghis Khan (1950), which premiered at the Venice International Film Festival last year.
The restoration was made possible through the collaboration of FDCP and WCF together with the National Film Archives of the Philippines, the British Film Institute, the Asian Film Archives, and the producer/ cinematographer of the film, Mike de Leon, also a master filmmaker of Philippine Cinema.
Joining Hilda Koronel (middle) at the Cannes Film Fest were (L-R) Arleen Cuevas (producer, Adolf Alix Jr.'s Death March/ Un Certain Regard section), Vanessa Ulgado (producer, The Grave Bandits/ Marche du Film section), Derick Cabrido (writer-director of short film Mga Engkantong Laog sa Mahabang Dapithapon/ Short Film Corner), and Sheron Dayoc (writer-director of Woman of the Weeping/ Marche du Film section).
Hilda Koronel, Lino Brocka take Cannes by storm once again
May 19, 2013 Inquirer Entertainment (http://entertainment.inquirer.net/94445/hilda-koronel-lino-brocka-take-cannes-by-storm-once-again)
Festival De Cannes: (http://www.festival-cannes.fr/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/11407616/year/2013.html)
CANNES—If Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” had Kim Novak, Lino Brocka’s “Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag” had Hilda Koronel.
Both vintage films are featured in the world’s biggest festival, specifically in the Cannes Classics section, currently going on in this coastal city in the south of France.
The fest website reported that Novak would be the guest of honor in the premiere of “Vertigo” on May 25.
Not to be outdone, the Philippine contingent made sure that it also had a classic beauty at its own red-carpet event—the grand debut of the digitally restored version of Brocka’s 1975 film held last Friday night at the Salle Buñuel of the Palais.
As the end credits rolled, “Maynila” was cheered and heavily applauded.
Koronel told the Inquirer: “I am elated and a bit sad at the same time. I got sentimental upon seeing onscreen the old friends who are no longer with us, like (the late actor-director) Mario O’Hara. How I wish they could have been here as well.”
It was not Koronel’s first time at Cannes.
Over three decades ago, she made a splash at the Croisette, where her mentor Brocka’s “Insiang” was screened in the Section Parallèlle/Directors’ Fortnight.
Koronel has vivid recollections of that 1978 event. “I stayed only for a few days, but Lino and I were kept busy with pictorials and interviews with French, German and other European journalists.”
She told the Inquirer this latest Cannes visit “brought back a lot of wonderful memories.”
The highlight of her 1978 trip was Koronel landing on the front page of the daily, France-Soir, upstaging then Hollywood “It” girl Farrah Fawcett. The photo of Koronel, in her Christian Espiritu gown, was considerably larger, compared to Fawcett’s more modest picture.
Grand comeback
In her grand comeback at Cannes, Koronel, who is now based in Los Angeles, chose an off-the-rack gown from a US store. “Filipino designer friends wanted to make a new dress for me, but we didn’t have time.”
She was escorted by her Filipino-American husband, lawyer Ralph Moore, at the premiere.
Koronel was flown to France by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), which spearheaded the “Maynila” restoration with help from Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Foundation (WCF) and the movie’s cinematographer and producer Mike de Leon.
Koronel said she was honored to represent Brocka, a National Artist for Film who died in a car crash in 1991. “It was a momentous occasion … inspiring.”
Sadly, De Leon and the film’s lead star Bembol Roco were unable to attend the premiere.
Scorsese sent a pretaped video message specially for the “Maynila” screening. In his message, Scorsese hailed Brocka as “a giant, a towering filmmaker whose films were “brave, extraordinary, powerful experiences.”
Scorsese said the WCF was “excited” at getting a chance to save a Brocka film. “It’s now very difficult to watch a good print of Brocka’s movies. It was urgent … to participate in this restoration.”
The dignitaries present at the “Maynila” premiere were led by FDCP chair Briccio Santos, FDCP executive director Ted Granados, consul to Monaco Patricia Zobel de Ayala, Brocka’s Cannes “discoverer” Pierre Rissient, Doug Laible and Kent Jones of WCF, Davide Pozzi of L’Immagine Ritrovata, programmers Roger Garcia, Jeremy Segay, Benjamin Illos and Paolo Bertolin, among others.
Also present were the Filipino filmmakers featured in this year’s Cannes: Erik Matti (whose “On the Job” is included in the Directors’ Fortnight) and Lav Diaz and Adolfo Alix Jr. (whose films, “Norte Hangganan ng Kasaysayan” and “Death March,” respectively, are competing in the Un Certain Regard section).
More restoration projects
Also present at the “Maynila” screening were actors Archie Alemania, Evelyn Vargas and Bianca Zialcita, cinematographer Albert Banzon, filmmakers Tikoy Aguiluz, Sheron Dayoc and Derick Cabrido, producers Dondon Monteverde, Raymond Lee, Arleen Cuevas, Vanessa Ulgado, and others.
The hall resounded with applause at the end of the two-hour film. The most ardent of film buffs lingered in the theater lobby, hesitant to leave.
Rissient told the Inquirer: “I hope this would be the beginning of more restoration projects. I know of at least four Brocka films—‘Insiang,’ ‘Bona,’ ‘Jaguar’ and ‘Bayan Ko’—that need to be saved.”
Festival programmer Salvatore Leocata of Brussels called “Maynila” a “masterpiece.”
Diaz said it had remained “powerful” after all these years.
“I first saw it at Coronet Theater in Cubao in 1975,” Diaz recalled. “I was in college then and our Literature teacher at the Ateneo assigned us to do a paper on it. My classmates and I kept debating about it afterward. It changed my perspective on cinema. It led me to filmmaking. It made me realize that film is not merely entertainment. Cinema could also be a potent tool for discourse.”
For Alix, “I was looking forward to seeing the film’s climax again. It is one of the most powerful endings I have ever seen in a movie.” He said he first saw the film on VHS when he was a high school student.
The restoration project, said Santos, aims to introduce Brocka to a wider and younger audience.
“Maynila” will premiere at the Cine Adarna of UP Diliman in June. A commercial release will follow in July or August, said Santos.
Brave choice of themes
FDCP also plans to release a twin-bill DVD of “Maynila” with Manuel Conde’s “Genghis Khan” (which was debuted in Venice), its first two restoration projects.
“Brocka has always been known for being brave in his choice of themes for his films,” said Santos. “He has the discipline and determination to imbue his films with social purpose.”
Santos met Brocka in Baguio in the 1970s. “He struck me as humble and unassuming, very respectful and serious about his craft. It was quite obvious that he was gifted.”
Santos praised Brocka for using his talent “to serve the Filipino people.”
Brocka said that the director’s role was to present the truth, Santos related. “Brocka said he had to make use of reality to confront the people so they wouldn’t become apathetic.”
A perfect example of Brocka’s commitment to the cause, Santos said, was “Maynila,” which was produced in the middle of martial law.
Santos praised “Maynila” for “shedding light on the plight of the exploited masses, at a time characterized by much danger and repression.”
In his speech, Santos said: “It was Brocka’s intention to make a document of this period … But through this restoration, not only did we bring a film back to life; more importantly, we restored a part of the truth for all of us to witness and remember.”
Hilda Koronel is reunited with Pierre Rissient, the Frenchman who brought “Insiang” to Cannes in 1978. Photo courtesy of Tikoy Aguiluz
Monday, May 6, 2013
Hilda Koronel returning to Cannes
Hilda Koronel returning to Cannes
It will be a sentimental journey for the actress, toast of the French fest 35 years ago
By Bayani San Diego Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
May 5, 2013
It has been 35 years since she last walked the red carpet at Cannes, and Filipino actress Hilda Koronel is on cloud nine as she prepares to return to the world’s biggest film festival this month for the world premiere of the digitally restored version of Lino Brocka’s 1975 masterpiece, “Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag.”
Last time Hilda was there, she had gone for another Brocka film, “Insiang,” which screened in the Section Parallèlle or Directors’ Fortnight in 1978.
“Maynila,” restored through the efforts of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) and Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Foundation, will be shown alongside Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s “Cleopatra,” Bernardo Bertolucci’s “The Last Emperor” in 3D, Alain Resnais’ “Hiroshima Mon Amour,” Patrice Chéreau’s “La Rein Margot,” Francesco Rosi’s “Lucky Luciano” and Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo,” among others, in the esteemed Cannes Classics section.
In an e-mail interview, Hilda, now based in the United States, told the Inquirer: “I’m very proud and excited that ‘Maynila’ was chosen to be screened with movies like ‘Cleopatra’ and ‘The Last Emperor.’ It’s a tremendous honor. We should all be proud as Filipinos.”
She has made all necessary arrangements to travel to the south of France later this month, with the help of FDCP.
“I’m looking forward to watching ‘Maynila’ again. It will surely bring back a lot of wonderful memories and I am certain that my husband, who is going with me, will enjoy it very much as well.”
Hilda is now married to Filipino-American lawyer Ralph Moore Jr. “He loves watching my old movies, even the ones without subtitles,” Hilda said.
Viewing list
Among Ralph’s faves are Brocka’s “Hayop sa Hayop” and “Angela Markado,” Danny Zialcita’s “Gaano Kadalas ang Minsan” and “Palabra de Honor,” Laurice Guillen’s “Tanging Yaman” and Mark Meily’s “Crying Ladies.” Ralph has also seen Hilda’s recent big-screen comeback, Olivia Lamasan’s “The Mistress.”
“Insiang” is on top of her husband’s viewing list, of course. The movie made Hilda the toast of Cannes in 1978. “Going back there will be fun, nerve-wracking and a bit sad,” she confessed. In the very least, it will be a sentimental journey.
“I still remember how Lino would help me get ready [for public appearances],” she recounted. “He did my hair for that famous newspaper photo with Farrah Fawcett.”
Hilda is referring to the front-page feature in the daily France-Soir, which ran a big photograph of hers beside a smaller pic of Farrah.
“Lino helped put my outfit together as well, with Filipino designer Christian Espiritu,” she recounted. “I think the French really loved my white terno, so the photo landed on the front page. The terno was beautiful and elegant—everyone else opted for casual wear, or was mostly undressed!”
Still relevant
She and Lino had traveled to Cannes to drumbeat interest in the film. “Lino was very popular in the whole of Europe, not just in Cannes. He loved screening his films there and they just adored him. He worked hard to promote his films and bring glory not just to himself, but to the country.”
Hilda feels strongly about revisiting Cannes, if only to honor her late mentor.
“[This restoration] is important to all of us. The social issues Lino discussed in our film are still relevant today,” she said. “I will always be proud to have been part of his cinematic legacy. We do make a lot of great movies, but today’s young people are not aware of them.”
She hopes that “Maynila” costar Bembol Roco, who is vacationing in the United States, can make it to the festival, too. “I haven’t seen him in ages.”
She is certain that this will be a trip to remember. “When ‘Insiang’ went to Cannes, Lino and I secured a place in Philippine cinema history. No one can take that away from me,” she said. “Now, ‘Maynila’ will be screened there … it just warms my heart.”
http://www.festival-cannes.fr/en/article/59696.html -
Cannes Classics 2013
http://www.screendaily.com/news/cannes-classics-2013-line-up/5054402.article?blocktitle=Latest-News&contentID=1846 -
Cannes Classics 2013 line-up unveiled
http://entertainment.inquirer.net/92557/hilda-koronel-returning-to-cannes
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Hilda Koronel movies @ www.mavshack.com
Watch some of Hilda Koronel’s movies at www.mavshack.com:
- Kapag Puso'y Sinugatan (1985) (http://www.mavshack.com/home.aspx?pg=moviedetail&MovieId=282a4c71-7afb-469b-91d0-4eb866f7d2a8)
- Angela Markado (1980) (http://www.mavshack.com/home.aspx?pg=moviedetail&MovieId=28a38a09-ce5f-4d17-97a2-8a5af0518c46)
- Babangon Ako't Dudurugin Kita (1989) (http://www.mavshack.com/home.aspx?pg=moviedetail&MovieId=418cc617-8b4c-4253-a407-ea4268755da1)
- Gaano Kadalas Ang Minsan (1982) (http://www.mavshack.com/home.aspx?pg=moviedetail&MovieId=c3f3a173-68f9-44cd-b267-23430c03dfb5)
- Habang May Buhay (1996) (http://www.mavshack.com/home.aspx?pg=moviedetail&MovieId=23ca8c9f-02c7-41ac-b356-72d3d5487e3e)
- HAYOP SA HAYOP (1987) (http://www.mavshack.com/home.aspx?pg=moviedetail&MovieId=1ef0197c-6dec-4735-9e34-6f399067b7ac)
- HUSTISYA (2000) (http://www.mavshack.com/home.aspx?pg=moviedetail&MovieId=c6e33039-0a40-4e34-9992-85ed32e0fb27)
- KUNG MAHAWI MAN ANG ULAP (1984) (http://www.mavshack.com/home.aspx?pg=moviedetail&MovieId=cc79c35d-e24f-43c9-ac7b-87cb1145db8a)
- TABLOID STORY (1998) (http://www.mavshack.com/home.aspx?pg=moviedetail&MovieId=59018544-c13d-430e-b6e9-ab7492bdc346)
- WORKING GIRLS (1984) (http://www.mavshack.com/home.aspx?pg=moviedetail&MovieId=68faf1aa-87ae-4fcf-8f27-924ec1432721)
Snapshot
Snapshot
- First Name: Hilda
- Last Name: Koronel
- Full Name at Birth: Susan Reid (Moore)
- Other Names: Susan Reid
- Age: 56
- Date of Birth: 17 January, 1957
- Birthplace: Angeles City, Pampanga, Philippines
- Build: Average
- Eye Color: Brown - Dark
- Hair Color: Brown - Dark
- Star Sign: Capricorn
- Ethnicity: Multiracial
- Nationality: Filipino
- Occupation Category: Actress
- Claim to Fame: Lino Brocka`s "Insiang" (1976) and more…
Biography:
Hilda Koronel, (born Susan Reid on 17 January 1957, Angeles City, Pampanga), is a FAMAS and Gaward Urian Award winning Filipina actress. Born to a Filipina mother and an American father who was a serviceman in Clark Air Base, she has starred in around 45 films, many of which are critically acclaimed, since 1970.
Her career got off to an unprecedented start becoming the youngest winner of the FAMAS Best Supporting Actress award in 1970 right at the beginning of her career which she won at the age of just 13 for her role in the 1970 film Santiago.
In 1975 and 1976 she starred in the Lino Brocka classics Maynila: Sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag, which won six FAMAS awards in 1976, and Insiang, which won both a FAMAS and a Gawad Urian Award in 1977. To date she has won three awards and received 11 nominations.
Filmography
Acting Credits
2012 - The Mistress - Regina Torres
2006 - Don't Give Up on Us - Pilar
2006 – Eternity - Chayong
2005 - Nasaan ka man - Trining
2005 - Ikaw ang lahat sa akin (TV Show) - Susana Ledesma-Ynares
2005 - Hokus Pokus (TV Show) - Matilda
2004 - Santa Santita - Chayong
2003 - Crying Ladies - Rhoda "Aling Doray" Rivera
2001 - Kung mawawala ka (TV Show) - Alicia
2000 – Demons - Bella
2000 - Tanging yaman - Celine
1998 - Labs kita, Okey ka lang? - Marissa
1998 - The Moment You Need Me -
1997 - Esperanza (TV Show) - Stella
1997 - Hanggang dito na lang -
1992 - True Confessions (Evelyn, Myrna, & Margie) -
1990 - Nagsimula sa puso - Celina
1989 - Babangon ako't dudurugin kita - Via
1986 - Nasaan ka nang kailangan kita - Jenny
1985 – Beloved –
1985 – Kapag Puso’y Sinugatan -
1984 - Kung mahawi man ang ulap - Catherine
1984 - Working Girls -
1983 - Palabra de honor - Cristy
1983 - Sana, bukas pa ang kahapon -
1983 - Sugat sa ugat - Christy
1982 - Gaano kadalas ang minsan? - Elsa
1982 – PX - Lydia
1980 - Kasal? - Grace
1980 - Angela Markado - Angela
1980 - Nakaw na pag-ibig -
1980 - Evening Class -
1978 - Marupok, mapusok, maharot -
1978 - Kumander Ulupong -
1977 - Kung mangarap ka't magising - Ana
1977 – Tisoy - Lady in hotel hallway
1977 - Basag na kristal -
1977 - Halikan mo at magpaalam sa kahapon -
1976 – Insiang - Insiang
1976 – Sakada -
1976 - Escolta, mayo 13, biyernes ng hapon -
1976 - Aliping saguiguilid -
1975 - The Nail of Brightness (Maynila sa Kuko Ng Liwanag)- Ligaya Paraiso
1975 - Dugo at pag-ibig sa kapirasong lupa - Jim's Girlfriend
1975 - Hello, Goodnight, Goodbye -
1975 - Bulaklak man ay lupa -
1975 - Ibigay mo sa akin ang langit -
1974 - Weighed But Found Wanting (Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang)- Evangeline Ortega
1974 - Three, Two, One - Gina
1973 - Lupang hinirang -
1973 - Carnival Song -
1973 - May isang brilyante -
1973 - Ganyan daw ang umibig –
1972 - Till Death Do Us Part - -
1972 - Ang gangster at ang birhen - Rose
1972 - Villa Miranda -
1972 - Cherry Blossoms --
1971 – Stardoom - Myra Lopez
1971 - Cadena de amor - Rossanna
1971 - Crush Ko Si Sir -
1971 – Now -
1970 - Tubog sa ginto -
1970 - Wanted: Perfect Mother - Ms. Campos
1970 - Santiago! - Cristina
1970 – Haydee - Haydee
1970 - Happy Hippie Holiday
Source: http://www.whosdatedwho.com/tpx_52817/hilda-koronel/
Hilda Koronel remembers Lino Brocka and shooting ‘Maynila’
Hilda Koronel remembers Lino Brocka and shooting ‘Maynila’
By Bayani San Diego Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
One of the most unforgettable moments in Hilda Koronel’s career, if not in her entire life, was her “funeral” scene in Lino Brocka’s 1975 film “Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag.”
The film is in the process of being digitally restored by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) in partnership with the World Cinema Foundation (WCF), chaired by Oscar-winning filmmaker Martin Scorsese.
Ever the stickler for realism, Brocka asked the actress to lie down in a real coffin. Was she spooked!
“As I lay there, I tried to hold my breath,” Koronel, who’s now based in the United States, told the Inquirer in an e-mail interview. “It was one of those coffins for the indigent. I was not even sure if it was new, or if it had been used before.”
She recalled that Brocka insisted on shooting in actual locations—as described in the novel by Edgardo M. Reyes. “He preferred real places, not studio sets. He would ask me to walk around Santa Cruz in Manila, and he would steal shots.” The late filmmaker had wanted to remain faithful to the story, she explained.
Love scene
Another highlight was her love scene with leading man Bembol Roco. “We shot that in a dingy motel room. I brought my own bed sheets and Lysol (disinfectant).”
In spite of challenges such as these, she looked forward to every working day with Brocka, Koronel said. “It was always exciting. I knew what he wanted from me because he knew my capacity as an actress. After all, I grew up with him. He trained me [in acting].”
Brocka, she said, was “my mentor, my father, my friend. I could always discuss my fears with him,” she related. “I could always count on him—whether it was about my personal life or my career. If he said that a film would be good for me, I would accept it without thinking.”
Huge void
She added: “He always had my back. I miss him terribly.”
She pointed out that Brocka, who passed away in 1991, left a huge void in her life in particular, and in the Philippine movie industry in general.
She said she had most admired Brocka’s intelligence and insight into people, society and social ills. “Lino loved the masses. We both came from humble beginnings. His background, I believe, shaped him and his beliefs. He was never pretentious. He had strong personal convictions and he acted on them. His principles were very evident in his films.”
Brocka’s movies, to this day, mirror the struggles of ordinary Filipinos. Koronel noted that the director’s body of work shows that, “as in all societies, our country has its good and bad sides. But we, as a people, have survived so much. Despite the odds, we sometimes came out on top. We simply must fight for what we believe in.”
Great news
Koronel said she was elated that Scorsese’s WCF, along with “Maynila’s” cinematographer-producer Mike de Leon and the FDCP, had banded together to digitally restore the movie.
She said it was “great” news and that, hopefully, it would “encourage our countrymen to preserve our cinematic treasures. I hope [Scorsese’s] foundation can also [help] provide us with the resources to protect our films.”
After these films are preserved, the actress said, audiences should be given access to them. She is aware that Filipino classics are now being studied in schools. “I had to discuss some films in class when I went to college in Maryknoll years ago,” she said.
Koronel hopes retrospectives and festivals of Brocka’s films will be mounted all over the country as well.
“Lino’s movies are timeless,” she said. “The social issues he tackled in ‘Maynila’ remain relevant to this day. It’s important for today’s generation to be made aware of these movies … so they will see that we can make great films. These films are our legacy. These films make us proud.”
(bayanisandiegojr@gmail.com)
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Hilda Koronel and Ralph Moore - Brought Together by Fate
Hilda
Koronel and Ralph Moore - Brought Together by Fate
TUESDAY, 12 FEBRUARY 2013 19:46 CYNTHIA DE CASTRO | AJPRESS
Hilda Koronel is one
of the best and most beautiful actresses in Philippine cinema.
Born Susan Reid to a Visayan mother and an American
serviceman father (whom she never
knew), she lived in the slums until she was discovered by Lea Productions at
the age of 12.
The multi-awarded actress has done so well in her career,
which has spanned over 40 films in four decades.
But while her movies have all been successful, Hilda has
not been as successful in love. After a
tough childhood and several failed romances, Hilda almost came to the point of
giving up on finding true love.
While Hilda’s love life seemed to be without direction, a
Filipino-American came to the Philippines on business -- the one who is destined to become her true love.
In an exclusive interview with Asian Journal (through Balikbayan Magazine) in California where they
have been living since 2006, Hilda and her husband, Ralph Moore, shared their
story.
Born and raised in America, Ralph has had an affinity with
the Philippines because his mother, Priscilla Dulay, is a native of Aringay, La
Union.
She immigrated to the US more than 50 years ago, pursuing
a career as a singer and as an astute businesswoman.
Following his mother’s steps in business, Ralph decided to
become an entrepreneur in the Philippines.
First sight
“In 1994, I just started a business in Manila and I lived
in a condominium in Greenhills. Everyday, I jogged around the Greenhills
Shopping complex. One day, as I turned around the corner, I almost knocked down
another jogger who was coming from the opposite direction. I was transfixed
when I saw her. She was so beautiful!
It’s like time stood still for me. Since I came from the States, I had
no idea who she was. I kept running around the Greenhills complex hoping to run
into her again, but she was gone. On the subsequent mornings I kept looking for
her, hoping to see her again,” recalled Ralph about their first meeting.
“I was living along Wilson in Greenhills at that time,”
shared Hilda, who didn’t really remember that first incident with Ralph.
Since he failed to see Hilda again after that first
encounter, Ralph put the matter behind him. But, an amazing thing
happened. Ralph shared: “About three
weeks later, I was in my home office in Greenhills, when my secretary excitedly
told me that Hilda Koronel was in the lobby, looking for the distributor of my
product which she liked. I had no idea
who Hilda Koronel was, but I went down to meet her. When I reached the lobby
and saw her, I gasped, ‘Oh my God! It’s her! The beautiful woman I’ve been
looking for!’”
Hilda wanted to inquire about Ralph’s product, a health
drink, which she liked.
“When I learned that Hilda is a very popular celebrity in
the Philippines and she liked my product, I asked her to be the endorser. We
began a business relationship, with Hilda getting shares in my company in
return for the endorsement of our product. Thus, we got together on a business
level. We didn’t date for four years.
Though I was attracted to her, I didn’t want to mix our business
relationship with romance. Besides, our personal lives were messy at that
time. We were then with different
people. I was still married, about to be divorced. And she was going through
some tough times herself. It just wasn’t the right time yet,” admitted Ralph.
The right time came four years after their first meeting.
“I remember when and where I got brave enough to even
think of getting romantic with her. It was in 1998. We flew up north, in
Ilocos, for a business presentation. We were supposed to leave the same day but
a typhoon came. We got stranded there for one week. In that week, I got to know
her personally. And at that time, we were both single. So, thanks to the storm,
our relationship developed into a [romantic one],” Ralph said.
Hilda pointed out that initially, there was some
hesitation on her part.
“I wasn’t really interested in going into another
relationship at that time. I had just separated. I felt I had enough of that. I
was just focused on raising my son,” she said.
But Ralph and Hilda soon realized they were meant for each
other. They got married in 2000 in the United States. They continued to live in
Manila after their wedding, to be near Hilda’s children: Leona, Isabel, Gabby,
and Diego and adopted daughters, Patricia and Ivy. She is now a proud
grandmother to four grandchildren.
Moving to the States
In 2006, while on vacation in California to celebrate his
mother’s birthday, Ralph got an offer that would change his life again.
“After a month here in LA, Hilda went home to Manila ahead
of me. Then, my mother and stepfather, David Hunt, offered me a position in
their real estate business. I decided
to take the offer so I called up Hilda to come back again after a few weeks.
When I picked her up at the airport, I told her, ‘Honey, you’re not going home
anymore.’”
Hilda was surprised but didn’t commit right away.
“I said, let’s talk about this. At that time, my girls
were all adults already and had lives of their own. But my only son, Diego, was
only 15 then and still studying in Xavier High School. But Ralph convinced me
that we will get Diego to live with us and everything will be all right. So,
after the first week, I finally agreed,” said Hilda.
The transition from living in the limelight in Manila to
living as a housewife in California was not easy.
“I missed my maids and my driver,” Hilda laughed.
“I miss my other children. I was so lonely. The first
three years were the hardest.”
“Although I did housework when I was a child, I have been
used to having household help since I became an actress. So, nanibago talaga ko
sa buhay America, where you have to do everything yourself. In fact, when they were getting my
fingerprints at the immigration, they noticed I had so many calluses. I told
them, ‘that’s because I have no maids here. I have been doing the laundry, the
dishwashing, etc., which made them laugh,’ revealed Hilda.
Admitting to spending a lot of time shopping, Hilda likes
her semi-retired lifestyle for the past years.
“I like my quiet life. Not too much stress. I don’t miss
the limelight. It’s not harassed. I’m just relaxing and having a great time
with my husband. All my kids are now professionals. My only son is now 21 and
taking up Nursing. So, most of the time, it’s just me and my husband. You know,
when you get to be at a certain age, you prefer to live simply. I’m not stressed out. I just take care of my
husband, my son, and my pets.”
The comeback movie
After six years of absence in the movies, Hilda recently starred
in the blockbuster movie, The Mistress (along with John Lloyd Cruz and Bea
Alonzo) from Star Cinema.
Coming back home for several weeks for the filming of the
movie, Hilda and Ralph enjoyed their homecoming.
“It was fun going back home. We enjoyed eating Filipino food every day,” said Hilda who only
went home once since 2006 for her daughter Leona’s wedding.
Asked about the changes he saw in the homeland in his last
visit, Ralph said: “More buildings. The Global City was awesome. It’s so
beautifully planned. I love the people, so friendly and warm, unlike here. And
of course, the food. I think Filipino food is the best in the world.”
Hilda said: “Iba talaga doon. I miss the people, their
warmth. And I got to do what I couldn’t do here often. I had my hair done a
lot. We had massages every night. We went shopping at tiangges. Masaya talaga
sa atin.”
With the success of The Mistress, Hilda has been asked
when her next movie will be.
“Every year, I have been getting offers for movies. But I
actually prefer to be choosy. After 43 years, I think I don’t want to make a
lot of movies now. Maybe once in a while, if the script is really good. I don’t
want something that will be too hectic. Not too much crying.”
“It’s too much for her, when the scenes call for a lot of
crying,” revealed Ralph.
“That’s because I don’t do Vicks. You know, putting some
Vicks Cold rub near the eyes to make you cry. I really get into the character I
am portraying. So when the role calls for a lot of crying and anguish, I get
drained physically and emotionally. It is very tiring,” Hilda explained.
Family life
Asked if her children have tried to follow her footsteps,
Hilda was quick to shake her head and say no emphatically.
“It’s not something that I encourage. It’s a very hard
life. Very tiring and stressful. If you don’t have the stomach for it, it’s not
something you should make a career of. I started in showbiz when I was 12. It’s
been more than 40 years. I don’t want my kids to go through some of the stuff I
went through.”
Knowing how difficult and uncertain the life of an actress
can be, Hilda has put great value on education. Despite her flourishing career
and very hectic film schedule, Hilda made sure she finished college. She has a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree
in International Studies from Maryknoll College (now Miriam College). And she instilled in her children the same
priorities.
“I’m very close to my children and grandchildren. I have
had no contact with my father since I was a child. And my mother didn’t want to
connect with him anymore. So I only had the side of my mother for a family but
they were very few,” said Hilda. “Family is my number one priority. I love my
kids and being lola to my apos,” she added.
When at home, Hilda likes to be in the kitchen. “I’m very
domesticated and I love to cook, especially Filipino food. My children all cook
and bake, like me. I have recipes from my aunts, mom, friends that I collect,
like tightly guarded secrets,” she said.
Ralph said: “I often tell her, ‘Please don’t cook
anymore.’ Because I can’t stop eating what she cooks especially her prawns with
taba ng talangka with lots of garlic, and her food for the gods. They are
really good!”
Since Hilda and Ralph got together, they have been
inseparable. “We always travel together. You see, I don’t like traveling alone.
I don’t enjoy flying so I want Ralph with me, holding my hand throughout the
flight,” Hilda said, as she laughed.
Reflecting upon their love story, Ralph said he realized
that perhaps the only reason God took him to the Philippines and stayed there
for 15 years was to find Hilda and be with her.
“I thought the business was the reason why I came to the
Philippines. But eventually, the business closed down. When I came back home to
America, all I brought back with me was Susan (Hilda). I think I came for her,
because when I came back, I just had her. God put us together,” shared Ralph.
Perhaps the lyrics from the song, The Broken Road by
Rascall Flatts best describes the love story of Ralph and Susan “Hilda” Moore.
“Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart, they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you!”
(Published in Balikbayan Magazine, December 2012-January
2013 issue)
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12 Films That Put Philippine Cinema on the Map at Cannes
As 5 new Filipino films debut at Cannes, we revisit some of the Philippines’ boldest moments on the global stage By Mel Wang May 15,...
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Hilda Koronel: ‘I am happier now’ by Janet Nepales September 11, 2013 Los Angeles – “I am happy where I am right now,” Hilda... -
Hilda Koronel and Ralph Moore - Brought Together by Fate TUESDAY, 12 FEBRUARY 2013 19:46 CYNTHIA DE CASTRO | AJPRESS ...