Bituin Escalante, one of the stars of the 50th Metro Manila Film Festival entry, “Isang Himala,” is realistic yet hopeful about the movie musical’s potential to reach a wider audience even after the festival.
Directed by Pepe Diokno, co-written by National Artist Ricky Lee and topbilled by Aicelle Santos, “Isang Himala” is the film adaptation of the 2018 musical play, which was based itself on the 1982 classic film “Himala” starring National Artist Nora Aunor.
In an exclusive chat with The STAR for her 25th-anniversary concert in May at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Circuit Makati, Bituin shared her thoughts on the challenges the film has faced since becoming one of the 10 official entries of the annual filmfest and even after winning awards during the Gabi ng Parangal.
At the awards night last Dec. 27, it was named fourth Best Picture apart from earning the Special Jury Prize, Best Actress in a Supporting Role award for Kakki Teodoro, Best Original Theme Song for Juan Karlos (Ang Himala ay Nasa Puso) and Best Musical Score for Vincent de Jesus.
When asked whether she felt disappointed about the film’s box-office performance and limited screenings, Bituin, who played the character Aling Saling in the film, admitted she approaches such matters pragmatically.
“Ako, realistic akong tao eh. So, the mere fact na naging pelikula siya, big deal na sa akin ‘yun. The mere fact na mas malaki yung audience na na-reach niya, big deal na sa akin ‘yun,” she said.
However, she acknowledged the missed opportunities due to limited distribution.
“Could it have been better? Of course. Wala kami sa probinsya... Imagine niyo, wala kami sa Tacloban, wala kami sa Naga, wala kami sa Bacolod. Yung ganung discrepancy, sayang. If we had only reached them,” she said.
Despite these hurdles, Bituin pointed out the overwhelmingly positive reception from those who managed to watch “Isang Himala.”
“Every time umupo ako sa sinehan, napupuno naman. After the film, tinatayuan, pinapalakpakan. Tapos magto-talkback, and you have Gen Alpha, Gen Z, Millennials saying, ‘This was the best thing I’ve ever seen.’ How can I complain?”
Drawing a parallel to the original Himala, Escalante expressed hope that the film adaptation would similarly find a dedicated following over time.
“Parang baby mo, it will have a life after the MMFF, na parang yung original ‘Himala’ which had a cult following. Hindi naman siya box-office hit when it first came out, but it had critical raves, and it had longevity.”
Bituin hopes to see “Isang Himala” in film festivals or streaming platforms. “Streaming, or maybe if dinala siya sa isang international festival... sa akin nga eh, dun pa lang sa talkback, ang daming nagtatanong, ‘Kailan niyo ire-restage?’ Now they wanna see it live. Parang it’s working as an advertisement for the original staging.”
The actress also praised the producers’ courage in casting thespians instead of established film celebrities despite its limited number of cinema slots being blamed on its lack of “star power.”
“Hindi naman kami movie stars. Totoo ‘yun. Aminado kami. Kaya bilib ako sa producers namin eh kasi hindi rin naman sila naïve. They also know the risk... But for them, they already said the rewards… that they were responsible for bringing something as beautiful as this.”
As the MMFF is now being extended until Jan. 14, Bituin encouraged audiences to watch the film in cinemas for the full experience. “They have to understand that this movie was shot for the full experience — na makita mo siya on the big screen. Iba talaga. Tapos yung sound, yung Dolby Atmos ng sinehan... Yung pelikula kailangan mong may kausap ka pagkatapos nun, naiintindihan yung dinaanan mo. It’s a social experience,” she said.
“You need someone to talk to about it. Sayang, sayang yung chance. Okay lang sana kung lahat tayo may home theater system na mare-repeat yung experience na yun at home. But no, some of us only have our cellphones. Some of us only have our laptops or tablets.
“If you’re gonna have money to spend… sulit yung experience na mapanood siya sa sinehan.”
For her, “Isang Himala” is more than just a movie — it’s a work of art deserving of longevity, much like its predecessors.
She wished for audiences and producers alike to continue supporting bold, original projects: “Sana tumangkilik pa rin kayo kasi ang dami ng nakapila na musicals na subok na maganda... You hope, in other ways, may mangyari. Kung hindi man kami yung bida sa office, (still) merong producer na maging matapang pa rin mag-invest sa something like this.”
The musical film “Isang Himala” is produced by CreaZion Studios, Unitel Straightshooters, Kapitol Films and CMB Production.