Daily TribuneNora Aunor’s ‘Mananambal’ deserves our time, support and hard-earned pesos. Let us give the superstar’s grand comeback all the love and support.
Bianca Umali
Nora Aunor
Currently showing in cinemas is Mananambal, written and directed by Adolf Alix Jr. and produced by BC Entertainment.
A mananambal is a traditional healer that cures ailments and maladies. In this Barinaga-helmed motion picture, National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Nora Aunor gives life to Lucia, a mananambal torn between her gift and her love for her only daughter.
Bianca Umali is Alma, destined to follow in her mother’s footsteps. However, she resists being just the community healer and wants to live a life of her own.
Completing the cast are Edgar Allan Guzman (Riley), basketball player and to make ends meet, secretly a boy for hire; Jeric Gonzales (Wade), male supermodel, skirt chaser living of f his family’s wealth and influence; Kelvin Miranda (Ethan), a struggling editor, gamer and breadwinner; and Martin Escudero (Ethan), fashion forward stylist who pines secretly for someone.
“This is a perfect blend of horror, mystery, and it also explores something that is part of our culture — the Mananambal” Alix said. “Also, with Ms. Nora and the ensemble of some of the best young performers, it will be a great rollercoaster ride. May nakakabigla. May sindak. Pero ang importante sa lahat, aantig sa puso ang pelikula (There are shockers, there are terrors, but what is most important, the film will touch hearts).”
In a nutshell, Mananambal is about a group of content creators who decide to go to Sitio Cambugahay to shoot Lucia, a mananambal that recently trended online. They meet the mananambal’s daughter Alma and try to get close to her to get to her mother. After a night of booze and drugs, they play on her innocence. Back in Manila, the boys experience weird things happening to them.
“I am always attracted to stories that deal with the unknown. Things we cannot explain sometimes but does happen,” Alix said.
“Understanding the psyche of healers, and their capability of inflicting harm as well, is not just an exciting and intriguing premise, it’s even mystical for it borders on things that science and logic cannot explain and answers are not available. We wanted to explore that, push that ‘believe it or not’ elements in the film.”
How were Nora and Bianca in the movie? “Working with Ate Guy is always a wonderful collaboration,” Alix said. “She brings her instincts as an actress and in spite of her immense talent, she is still open to create and collaborate. Working with her is always an unforgettable experience.”
“Bianca is like a sponge eager to learn more about her craft. So, it was also a fruitful exchange of thoughts in creating the character of Alma. Nakakatuwa yung eagerness niya (It made me glad to see her eagerness) to learn and try challenging things. Actress talaga siya, hindi nag-iinarte, totoong umaarte at mahusay sa pag-arte (She is indeed an actress),” added the screenplay writer and director.
“The cast brought their A-game to the set as they would be working with Ate Guy. It excited them so they are always prepared sa mga eksena (for the scenes),” Alix said.
Umali said that it was an honor to work with the superstar Aunor. Sharing most of the scenes with the National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts, Bianca described it as a “master class in acting” and that she was starstruck, nervous, and that she gave her best to give not only life but the needed emotional truths of her character, Alma.
Why must we support and watch Mananambal? It is the comeback movie of Nora Aunor, after becoming part of the Orden ng Pambansang Alagad ng Sining. The fact that she is Philippine cinema’s greatest actress is not a mere PR statement, but the truth.
As Lucia, we can all witness the commitment and passion of La Aunor in making Lucia an unforgettable woman, a character that we will always remember because of her complexities and vulnerabilities.
Of course, Umali, De Guzman, Miranda, Gonzales and Escudero are some of the most competent and sincerest set of actors of this current generation. Acting is not a bread trip exercise for them. They know it is not just a craft, but art that is larger than life, that is why they give it their all, heart, soul, commitment and most of all truth.
Of course, the narrative was written by Alix, who is an award-winning film director as well. The intrigue and fascination, the gifts and powers of a mananambal, from his script and its presentation on the silver screen, make it an exhilarating movie experience.
Nora Aunor’s Mananambal deserves our time, support and hard-earned pesos. Let us give the superstar’s grand comeback all the love and support.
