Cannes remembers Jaclyn Jose

The Cannes International Film Festival paid homage to its 2016 Best Actress Jaclyn Jose, the first Filipino and Southeast Asian to achieve such honor, for her performance in “Ma’ Rosa.”

Sharing a throwback Agence France Presse photo of Jaclyn holding her Chopard trophy, Cannes’ social media posted yesterday: “Upon learning of the passing of Filipino actress Jaclyn Jose, the Cannes Festival remembers her beaming with emotion as she received the 2016 Acting Award for ‘Ma’ Rosa’ by Brillante Mendoza.”

“Like many of her other roles, she illuminated this very beautiful portrait of a woman, embodied her with grace and humanity,” the post further said in French, but with English translation.

Indeed, that unprecedented win of Jaclyn, who died on March 2 at the age of 60 due to a heart attack, became one of Philippine cinema’s brightest spots and proudest moments. Beating out then-frontrunners like Ruth Negga, Isabelle Huppert, Marion Cotillard and Kristen Stewart, it was made even more iconic by her stunned reaction as she went up the stage, pulling along Brillante and daughter Andi Eigenmann, to receive her award.

“I am so surprised,” a breathless and visibly shocked Jaclyn would tell the audience. “I would like to share this recognition to all the Filipinos who are here now, to my daughter, to Brillante, to my countrymen, to the Philippines.”

The video clip of Jaclyn’s award-winning moment has since resurfaced following her untimely passing but that scene is forever immortalized in the eyes of her peers and colleagues.

Her “Ma’ Rosa” co-star Ruby Ruiz fondly recalled to The STAR: “As soon as she won, she asked me, ‘Ruby, is this award truly prestigious?’ I answered, ‘Jaclyn, yes, it’s the ultimate! Then I hugged her.”

Ruby also felt privileged that she was able to walk the Cannes red carpet with Jaclyn.

“I will also never forget how much she wanted to attend the closing and awards night even if we were not invited in the beginning. She asked me if I could accompany her. Of course, I said yes,” the veteran actress added.

In the 2016 interview later on with the press, including The STAR, on her homecoming, Jaclyn would confirm her disbelief and overwhelming emotions. “No words could describe what I was feeling at that moment. The feeling was really overwhelming,” she said.

At that time, Jaclyn was also aware that some international film critics had called her triumph over the heavy favorites as a surprise and a shock. But she personally got to witness how jury members defended their decision as she was waiting in a holding area for her turn to meet the foreign press.

Hollywood star Donald Sutherland, who was part of the jury alongside George Miller, Australian film director George Miller, American actress Kirsten Dunst, Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen, among others, was then quoted in reports as contradicting the critics, saying “it’s a big-time leading role.” French filmmaker and jury member Arnaud Desplechin also said of Jaclyn: “She’s the film. That scene at the end where she’s eating! Her performance broke my heart.”

Jaclyn had thought that it was also the scene that earned her the much-coveted prize.

“Tingin ko rin. Pinaghirapan ko yun ha!” said Jaclyn then, adding that she was just following the “no-acting” directive of her frequent collaborator and director Brillante. “When I saw it, I said, okay. I knew in my heart that I did one good scene ... that I did something that would somehow touch their hearts, and it was the ending.”

What made the big win more special was the presence of her daughter Andi, who played her onscreen daughter in “Ma’ Rosa.”

In the film, Jaclyn is a mother of four in a slum area, who is forced to sell drugs to fend for her family. She gets arrested and ends up embroiled in a web of police corruption. To recall, the film captured attention because of its timeliness amid the-incoming President Duterte’s war on drugs.

Jaclyn recalled in the same media interview that while it was her first nomination at Cannes, it was her second time to attend one of the world’s oldest filmfests. She first went there in 2008 for Brillante’s “Serbis.” It was for Andi that Jaclyn went to Cannes in 2016.

“Andi told me, ‘Ma, tanggapin mo na para naman makapag-abroad ako, ma-experience ko naman ang mga na-experience mo. So I said, ‘Okay, I will do this for you’ … because I had no idea I would win and I already experienced the red carpet walk before, so it was basically all for her. It’s such a fulfillment for me winning (the award) and (bringing) Andi to the international scene,” she said then.

And so when her name was proclaimed winner, Jaclyn made sure to bring Andi with her to the centerstage.

Some people in the audience got caught on camera turning emotional during her acceptance speech.

Recalling her conversation with Dunst, she said, “Sabi ni Kirsten… she was touched because she thought it was a beautiful speech, and that grabbing my daughter’s hand and not letting go of her, dun daw (nanggaling) yung emotion nila.

“To have your daughter beside you while winning such a prestigious honor as this is such a wonderful feeling. Siguro yun yung (mas) overwhelming para sa akin.”

Tributes from showbiz pillars as well as the younger generation of actors have poured in since news of Jaclyn’s death broke out and later confirmed by her family.

In a statement sent to this paper, National Artist for Film Nora Aunor, who has previously worked with Jaclyn in “The Flor Contemplacion Story” and the still-unreleased “Pieta,” also took pride in the late actress’ international moment of glory, saying her passing is a huge loss for the industry.

She said, “Lubos ko ring ikinatuwa ang minsan niyang pagkapanalo sa Cannes, isang bagay na alam ko pong magbubukas pa ng maraming pagkakataon para sa pelikulang Filipino at sa mga kapwa-nating artistang hinding-hindi matatawaran ang galing tulad ni Jaclyn.”

(I was also very happy that she once won at Cannes, something that I know will open many more opportunities for Filipino cinema and for our fellow actors who can never be underestimated like Jaclyn.)

“Kasama po ako ng buong industriya na nagluluksa sa pagpanaw ni Ms. Jaclyn Jose, isang premyadong aktres at kaibigang maituturing ng marami sa atin… Ngunit mananatili ang pag-asa at pag-ibig at ang sining na buong buhay niyang ibinigay sa atin, kaya’t sa gitna ng pagluluksa pong ito, naroroon rin ang pasasalamat natin sa kaniya, sa buhay, sining at karangalang ibinigay niya sa atin bilang mga Filipino.”

(I join the entire industry in mourning the passing of Ms. Jaclyn Jose, an award-winning actress and friend many of us can count on… But the hope and love and the art that she gave us throughout her life will remain, so in the midst of this mourning, we will also be grateful to her, for the life, art and honor that she gave us as Filipinos.)

The late film and TV icon was cremated on Monday. Her remains lie in state until March 9 at the Arlington Memorial Chapel in Quezon City.