CCP celebrates Nat’l Artist Eddie Romero with ‘Aguila’ screening
Shortly after its first anniversary, the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Cine Icons returns for the premiere of yet another must-see classic Filipino film, “Aguila,” written and directed by National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Eddie Romero and starring fellow National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Fernando Poe Jr., on April 3, 1 p.m. at the GSIS Theater.
A talkback will follow after the film screening.
Free and open to the public, this special screening celebrates the centennial birth anniversary of Romero. He was a film director, film producer and screenwriter who was declared a National Artist in 2003, with a body of work delving into the history and politics of the country.
Among his most revered historical films are “Ganito Kami Noon…Paano Kayo Ngayon?,” “Kamakalawa” and “Banta ng Kahapon.” Romero also directed some critically acclaimed war films in the early 1960s, such as “Lost Battalion” (1960), “The Raiders of Leyte Gulf” (1963) and “The Walls of Hell” (1964).
“Aguila” is a 1980 Philippine period drama film about flashbacks that encompass the history of the Philippines as well as the life story of the elderly Daniel Aguila. The Aguila family gathers to celebrate Daniel’s 88th birthday, but the old man is nowhere to be seen—he has been missing for a decade. Suspecting that his father is in Mindanao, one of his sons takes off for that region in a determined search. Along the way, his memories of the nation and his father’s life tell the story of 80 tumultuous years of personal and historical development.
The film’s prevalent themes include family, history and society, and nationalism. It is considered the biggest Filipino film ever made, eventually garnering six wins at the 1981 Famas Awards, including Best Picture and Best Screenplay, and nine nominations at the 1981 Gawad Urian Awards.
Launched in 2023, CCP Cine Icons is a special program of the CCP Film, Broadcast and New Media Division-Production and Exhibition Department that aims to honor and popularize the life and works of National Artists and Gawad CCP Para sa Sining awardees.
