Vilma Santos pushes for restoration of classic Pinoy films

Veteran actress Vilma Santos said that because she once tried to look for copies of her old films but failed, she would now be advocating for the restoration of locally produced classics.

“When I got pregnant with my second son, Ryan Christian, I was bedridden for five months. It was a difficult pregnancy, partly because I was already 42 then. At the time, I sent my staff to the National Archives of the Philippines to request for copies of all my movies,” Vilma told Inquirer Entertainment during the opening of “Vilma Night,” a two week-long exhibit at the Archivo 1984 in Makati.

“It’s so unfortunate because we learned that a lot of my memorable films, like ‘Lipad Darna Lipad,’ have no master copies. I also heard that the original copy is in Malaysia, but nothing has shown up even up to this day.”

According to Vilma, even private organizations like the Society of Filipino Archivists for Film and Sagip Pelikula: ABS-CBN Film Restoration Project, as well as the government-funded Film Development Council of the Philippines, are actively seeking out master copies of old movies and restoring them. “It’s so unfortunate that a lot of the copies are now gone, while some ended up getting wet when the places they were stored in got flooded. Sayang! I really hope these groups will find more copies because I’m very proud of the movies I’ve made. A lot of them are still relevant till now,” the actress stressed.

This is also why she promised to help reacquire and restore old movies, “those that aren’t necessarily mine, but something we can be proud of. I’m aware that we lack funds and that it’s expensive to restore films. Given the chance, I hope to secure the funding needed. I will work on that, I promise,” said Vilma.

‘It felt good’

“Vilma Night” features a rare exhibit of posters, magazines and never-before-seen photos, as well as vinyl records of Vilma’s recordings in her six decades in the industry. As the guest of honor, Vilma led the formal ribbon-cutting ceremony. As a treat, she was shown 20 clips of her most memorable films and encouraged to recall her memorable experiences while doing them.

“How did I feel while looking back at those films? It felt good to watch them again. I realized that the movies I’ve made were not so bad at all. From the time I did ‘Sister Stella L,’ up to now, it is still getting praised. I realized that the movie actually has an important message—it talks about the work force in the Philippines. If you think about it, the problem they faced back then is still a problem now,” Vilma observed.

“Again, you realize a lot of things as you mature. I produced the movie ‘Pagputi ng Uwak, Pag-itim ng Tagak.’ It took three years to make it. My director, Celso Ad Castillo, and I argued so much because I spent a lot of money on it, but the prestige this film had given me and my VS Films is priceless. Sadly, according to Sir Leo (Katigbak of Sagip Pelikula), we no longer have its master copy,” she added.

A framed poster of her film “Burlesk Queen,” had Vilma reminiscing the time she underwent training on the art of burlesque. “It’s not a bad thing. During that time, this was the dance of the poor—not the artists performing at the Film Center—but those in small theaters in Cubao. They danced to express themselves and to entertain. A dancer taught me that burlesque requires more movement of the hips,” she recalled.

Goosebumps

Asked what could have happened if “Burlesk Queen” became the country’s representative to the Oscars (best foreign language film category) in 1978, she said, “That would have added a feather in my cap. It’s about time that we get acknowledged for our work and win an Oscar. This will only happen with the support of the government and other related organizations.”

For Vilma, a winning film has to be “something that’s close to the truth.” She explained: “If you speak the truth, your story will be relevant and meaningful. I’m proud of the true-to-life stories I’ve done, like ‘Dahil Mahal Kita (The Dolzura Cortez Story);’ ‘Ipagpatawad Mo,’ which is about autism; and ‘Dekada ‘70,’ which is a story on martial law,” she said.

The “Vilma Night” exhibit took three months to mount, said curators Jerome Gomez and Erwin Romulo. “This is the first time I was given a tribute in an exhibit and it’s giving me goosebumps,” said Vilma. “I just saw my old pictures. I didn’t imagine I was this sexy! I didn’t even know I did this (a bathtub scene with Michael de Mesa) in ‘Tagos ng Dugo.’ And the paintings! I don’t know how else to say thank you. I feel so elated. Let’s all enjoy ‘Vilma Night!’”

Also present were couple Tirso Cruz III and Lyn Ynchausti, Agot Isidro, Vilma’s sister Emelyn, and Archivo Gallery owner Dr. Marty Magsanoc.