Dance of My Life at CCP

MANILA, Philippines - Dance of My Life, a 75-minute documentary about Bessie Badilla (photo), the first Filipina Carnival Queen in Brazil will be shown on July 27 at 9 p.m. at the CCP Little Theater as part of Cinemalaya’s Documentaries presentation. Cinemalaya is supported by the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the Film Development Council of the Philippines and Econolink Investments, Inc.

Filmed on location in Sao Paulo, Brazil Dance of My Life reveals never-before-seen footage of elaborate carnival preparations while providing a fitting backdrop for Bessie’s stories. From her humble beginnings in Tondo to her meteoric rise as one of Manila’s top models (capped by a seven-season stint with the House of Balenciaga in Paris) the documentary traces the ups and downs of Bessie’s colorful life amidst the glitz and glamour of Carnival. Local audiences will remember Bessie as one of the stars of the hit comedy, Eh Kasi Babae. She is flying in from New York to attend the Philippine premier of Dance of My Life.

Written and directed by Lyca Benitez-Brown, Dance of My Life has captivated audiences in New York City, Chicago, Thessaloniki (Greece) and Honolulu. It travels to Singapore after its limited Manila run.

Tickets are priced at P150 and are available from the CCP Box Office (tel. 832-3704) and the CCP Film Office (tel. 832-1125 loc. 1704/05). For details, log on to www.queenbessie.com.