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Director: Lino Brocka

1984, (Philippines), 1hr 26 mins

Language: Tagalog with English subtitles

Presented by: Cinestudio in partnership with The Asian American Cultural Center at the University of Connecticut

 

A young, middle-class girl from the Philippines, Bona drops out of high school to follow Gardo, a minor actor in low-budget films. This decision angers her father, who kicks her out. Hoping for romance, Bona moves in with Gardo, but is treated like a maid, forced to endure his flings.

A landmark film in the history of Filipino cinema, Bona united director Lino Brocka and actress and singer Nora Aunor for a powerful collaboration that mostly faded from screens since its release in 1980. The film elements were long believed to be lost, but thanks to a professor, Bona was rescued and restored, giving the story of a lovestruck movie fan new life and brings Brocka’s snapshot of the Philippines under the Marcos era back to light. Selected for the Cannes Film Festival’s Directors’ Fortnight in 1981, Bona is a cutting social drama that critiqued the nature of fandom, gender expectations, and faith in the Philippines. The film propelled both Brocka and Aunor’s profiles to new heights before disappearing for decades—until now.