Here’s an interesting story about septuagenarians— Teresa and his husband Celso—that was given life in the film Kung Paano Hihintay ang Dapithapon (Waiting for Sunset) by a young filmmaker Carlo Catu (he also made Ari: My Life the King).
Teresa and Celso’s life was like any other septuagenarian couples in the Philippines, but a dramatic turn of events changes the texture of their daily life. Teresa’s estranged first husband, Benedicto, reaches out to her seeking reconciliation and forgiveness.
Will Teresa accept him and how would Celso feel about this?
That’s the premise of the film (that premiered last Wednesday night at the CCP for Cinemalaya), which, to me, was poignant enough to be given enough attention because it is not about a young romantic love, about three mature people in their twilight years, waiting for the sun to set and finally say goodbye to life.
Will the so-called millennials find this story interesting enough for their gadget-defined taste in cinema?
Catu, a Kapampangan who found the story idea out of the ordinary and thought provoking, said that he, being one himself, is curious about what he would face when he reaches that stage in life. He said he has seen people and couples in this age and wondered what life they are leading now. Are they happy? Or are they troubled? Are they anxious as the day of their departure gets close and closer? Are they prepared to leave?
Perla Bautista (one of the leading ladies in the 60s) who is playing Teresa said during the press conference about her character, “Teresa has forgiven her first husband, Benedicto who is played by Dante Rivero and who had left her for another woman. She has moved on and leading a peaceful and quiet life with Celso (Menggie Cobarrubias). But Benedicto is dying and wanted forgiveness, so she decided to take him in. Teresa and Celso agreed to take care of the dying man.”
Cobarrubias said that in real life if her former wife would do the same he wouldn’t know if he could do what Teresa did. “I don’t know how I’d feel. But Teresa is a forgiving woman, and Celso has a magnanimous heart,” he said.
Rivero, on the other hand, said of his character, “His life is over. Benedicto simply wanted to make peace with his first wife whom he loved that’s why he married her.”
This film reminds me of the Robert Redford and Jane Fonda film, Our Souls at Night, about two septuagenarian widow and widower that find a connection with each other when they agreed to sleep with each other platonically.
It is interesting to note that many young people, especially those creating stories in films, are beginning to explore the subject of loneliness and companionship among older people.
“This is what I’m trying to show in this film,” said Catu.
Dapithapon also stars the former child star Romnick Sarmenta, Che Ramos, Ryan Ronquillo, Jacqueline Cortez, Dunhill Banzon, and Stanley Abuloc.
It is showing as well in select Ayala Malls cinemas.
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Talk show with Edu?
The talk format is getting to be an endangered format on Philippine free-to-air TV. It has sought refuge in cable TV channels, like ANC, which is hosting LSS: The Martin Nievera Show at 10:30 p.m. on Monday.
Nievera has been dying to get back on camera to show off his talk show hosting skills, and he’s happy that ANC, the ABS-CBN news channel, has given him another chance.
I’ve seen some episodes of the show and still Nievera owns the screen, allowing only his guests to steal it once in a while.
But, what I am looking forward to watching on TV, whether free-to-air station or cable channels another talk show hosted perhaps by Edu Manzano. I remember in the late 1980s when he hosted Not So Late Night With Edu on ABS-CBN. It was one of the funniest talk shows (local) I’ve seen in years, and I felt bad when in 1988 it was axed to give way to Tagalog shows.
I don’t know if ANC, the ABS-CBN channel has ever thought of creating a talk format with Manzano, he is after all in the Kapamilya network now playing Vice President Lucas Cabrera in FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano.
Will I and Edu’s fans ever see him again in a talk show?
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Big comeback
Nokia phones are making a big comeback.
Shannon Mead, country manager of HMD Global Philippines, said: “We make sure that at HMD Global, we provide mobile experience customized to the needs and style of our diverse markets. More than the promise of innovation, we create technology that is accessible and reliable without compromising premium quality.”
The Nokia 1 is equipped with a quad-core processor, front and rear cameras, 4G connectivity and dual-SIM support, elevating the feature phone experience in an accessible smartphone package.
The Nokia 8110 is a durable phone that delivers crystal-clear VoLTE calls. With its 4G connectivity, users can access apps such as Google Assistant, Google Maps, Google Search, Facebook and Twitter while performing basic tasks such as sending and receiving emails, importing contacts, and syncing calendar with Outlook and Gmail. The Wi-Fi capability lets
Nokia 8110 serve as a portable hotspot, letting you share internet connection with up to 10 devices at once.
The Nokia 1 is available in Warm Red and Dark Blue while the Nokia 8110 4G comes in Traditional Black and Banana Yellow. Both come at an affordable price of P3,990.
