Restored version of Himala to be Screenedat the 2012 Cinema One Originals Festival

CEBU, Philippines -   The restored version of Ishmael Bernal’s “Himala”, one of the country’s cinematic gems, will be screened at the 8th Cinema One Originals 2012 on December 4 at 9:15 p.m. at the Edsa Shangri-La Cineplex.

    Prior to the screening, a documentary celebrating the film’s 30th anniversary titled “HIMALA NGAYON” by Sari Dalena and Keith Sicat will roll at 7:00 p.m. Multi-awarded screenwriter Ricky Lee, will be present during the event for the book signing of his “Himala” coffee table book at the cinema’s lobby which features the full screenplay of the movie with an English translation, as well as interviews with the cast and crew and more than 100 full-color photographs.

    The film “Himala” was initially released for the Metro Film Festival in 1982. In 2008, it won the Viewer’s Choice Award for Best Asia-Pacific Film of All Time in the CNN Asia Pacific Screen Awards and just recently, it was screened at the 69th Venice Film Festival during a program titled “Venizia Classici” which showcased restored classic films from around the world.

    “Himala” is based on a true incident on a teenage girl in Cabra Island in the province of Occidental Mindoro between 1966 and 1967. It talks about how Elsa, played by Nora Aunor, whose visions of the Virgin Mary has caused hysteria in a poor, isolated village. Right after the apparition, she started faith healing local residents.

    The restoration of the eye-opening film about religion and faith healing was made possible by the ABS-CBN Film Archives headed by Leo Katigbak in partnership with Central Digital Lab, Inc. The restoration took 700 hours of restoration before it attained its High Definition quality. “We've always wanted to restore classics, it's just that the cost was very prohibitive before. But over the last few years, the technology has improved, and the cost has declined. This is the 30th year of Himala and it’s a great Filipino classic we would like everyone to see,” Katigbak said.

    Watch the special exclusive screening event of HIMALA NGAYON and the HD version of this timeless classic at the 8th Cinema One Originals Festival this December 4 starting at 7:00 p.m. at EDSA Shangri-La Cineplex.

The 2012 Cinema One Originals Festival is an annual project of the Cinema One, the local movie channel on cable, owned and operated by Creative Programs, Inc (CPI).