Phillip Salvador believes Dingdong Dantes and Barbie Forteza would be well-suited for the roles originally portrayed by him and National Artist Nora Aunor if a remake of their 1981 film “Bona” were to be made.
The digitally restored version of “Bona” was the closing film of the recently concluded 20th edition of the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival. Nora, who played the titular role, attended the special screening alongside her leading man Phillip and other original cast members Ruby Ruiz and Nanding Josef.
“Someone asked me sino daw sa tingin ko ang pu-pwede sa role ko as Gardo. Si Dingdong Dantes na ang naisip ko. Si Barbie Forteza si Bona. They’re both good actors, I have that respect for them,” Phillip said in our interview after the screening.
“Bona” was the 1981 masterpiece of National Artist Lino Brocka, with a script by Cenen Ramones under Nora’s own film outfit NV Productions. It tells the story of middle-class student Bona (Nora), whose fangirling over the bit player Gardo (Phillip) leads her to extreme displays of adoration. After incurring her father’s wrath, she runs away to Gardo’s shack in the slums, thrilled to be living with him even though she is not treated as a wife or partner but as a “bonafide” helper.
According to Cinemalaya, “Bona” was largely unseen after its theatrical release until it was rediscovered by University of Illinois professor Jose Capino, who was conducting research and interviews on Brocka.
Last year, Carlotta Films and Kani Releasing commenced the restoration of the Filipino classic. The 4K restoration from the original 35 mm image was done at the Cite de Memoire laboratory in Paris, France, while the restoration of the sound from the negatives preserved by LTC Patrimoine was handled by L.E. Diapason.
The restored film premiered this year at Cannes in France, 43 years after it first debuted at the same international filmfest. Variety reported that “Bona” will be released in theaters across France on Sept. 25, followed by screenings in the US and Canada in the last quarter of the year. Despite being over four decades old, the media outlet said that the film remains relevant because it “probes fandom.”
For Phillip, on the other hand, watching the beautifully restored “Bona” brought back memories of working with director Lino. “With our scenes, we definitely thought of Lino. If you notice, our scenes are continuous, no cuts, and dire-diretso. (Nagkatinginan) kami ni Ate Guy, kayang kaya pa natin yun nuon, no?” he said.
“Ate Guy and I are proud because we really struggled with that film. Lino, God bless his soul, was really persistent until he got what he wanted. He was meticulous. Before shooting, he didn’t mind if you rehearsed repeatedly. Once you started filming, it was all in one go, and then you’d just hear ‘Cut! Good!’”
When asked by The STAR about the most challenging scenes in “Bona,” Phillip replied, “All the scenes were difficult. Like when she (Nora) was pouring water over me, and then the rain effect.”
In that rain scene, Bona shares her broken umbrella with Gardo as she brings him home from a shoot amid a torrential downpour. Along the way, Gardo gets beaten up over a girl, ending up muddied and bloodied. Bona decides to spend the night caring for him, which causes the major fight with her father.
Towards the end of the film, Bona snaps out of her misplaced adoration and throws the boiling water she used to prepare for Gardo’s baths on him. She executes this wordlessly, in contrast to Gardo’s constant screaming. It ends with the latter trying to escape the fury of his scorned fan.
Phillip also recalled the difficulties of filming the confrontation scenes between him and Nora. “Ayaw na ayaw ko. Nag-take kami nun, kinu-cut kami ni Lino. ‘What are you doing?’ sabi sa akin. He confronted me. Because I really didn’t want to slap her. Galit na galit ako (sa character ko). I said, my God, nagawa ko talaga kay Nora Aunor ito,” he said.
The veteran actor shared that even the audiences were angry with his character — something he discovered while watching a screening at a cinema. “You know, actually, when ‘Bona’ was released, I watched it in the theater. I was quiet, I arrived halfway through because I just wanted to take a peek. But I stayed until it ended and then the lights came on. Nakita ko yung mga katabi ko, ‘Walang hiya ka!’ Pinaghahampas ka. It’s true! That happened to me,” he mused.
“That’s why when you asked if I am proud of my character, galit ako sa kanya (I’m angry at my character). But I’m happy because I was able to do that. I was the character that Lino wanted and every time we came to the shoot, when Ate Guy would arrive on the set, talagang tinitingnan ko siya (I would really look at her) as Bona.”
Phillip hopes that more classic films will be restored. “This is the time when we should restore films by great directors. They don’t necessarily have to include me, but films by other talented directors like Lino Brocka, Ishmael Bernal, Mike de Leon, Mario O’Hara, and Elwood Perez. Their films should be restored so that today’s youth can see how films were made back then.”
“Na-inspire ako, sobra,” said Phillip when asked if the film inspired him to return to acting.
While there are no discussions about a remake or reboot, plans for a “Bona” sequel are underway, with director Adolf Alix Jr. considering Phillip and Nora to reprise their iconic roles 43 years later.
Phillip expressed his openness to working with Nora again in a possible follow-up to “Bona.” “I’d love to do it. I would be honored to be able to work with Nora again,” he said.
The last time they worked together was for Joel Lamangan’s “Isa Pang Bahaghari,” a 2020 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) entry.
“I just need to see the script of Adolf. But sana lang meron akong time talaga ngayon. I’d be honored to do it with Nora Aunor one more time.”
Direk Adolf mentioned that Nora has agreed to the sequel but he acknowledged “mahirap siya (‘Bona’) dugtungan because it’s a very iconic movie.”
There’s also the matter of the veteran star’s health. “Nag-re-rehabilitate si Ate Guy para lumakas. Of course, our concern is her health during the shoot. And like with our other projects, this one is more of a passion project because in the original film, she was the producer.”
Adolf continued, “So, we want her to be in the best health when we work with her. We’re just finalizing things; we already have the script. After 40 years, we’re just continuing the story. It’s hard to touch the original because it’s so beautiful as it is.”
The filmmaker has been a frequent collaborator with Nora after directing her in movies such as “Padre de Familia,” “Whistleblower,” “Kontrabida” and “Pieta.”