‘Guy’ keen on new project before she died at 71
National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Nora Aunor continued to build on her already monumental filmography before her unexpected death on April 16, according to filmmakers she had recently worked with.
Aunor, the show biz icon also known fondly as “Guy,” was also witnessing her stellar performances being revisited by today’s movie lovers, thanks to restoration efforts for her classic films.
Filmmaker Adolfo Alix Jr., who had directed six films starring Aunor, said the actress recently agreed to team up with him again on another project, which would have also featured fellow veteran actresses Hilda Koronel and Gina Alajar.
Ever a risk taker
“She was in high spirits. She was excited for the project,” Alix said. “She told me she would undergo angioplasty for her condition, but she was preparing herself physically. The best advice would have come from her doctor, and we were all ready to support her.”
Alix described directing Aunor as a singular experience. “Given her stature, she was always willing to take risks,” he said. “She never played it safe. That’s why we have classics like “Banaue,” “Andrea,” and “Bona.” At 27, she was already producing films she believed in, even if it meant pawning her own house.”
He also praised Aunor’s instinctive acting style, particularly her ability to convey deep emotion through subtle expressions. “Those eyes,” Alix noted. “You just had to explain the scene, and when the camera rolled, she delivered everything. It was instinct. That’s a rare gift.”
Restoring her classics
Alix had just finished some films with Aunor that are soon to be released, such as “Kontrabida” and “Pieta” (costarring Alfred Vargas), while veteran film and stage director Joel Lamangan is also due to release his latest Aunor starrer “Ligalig,” costarring Allen Dizon.
Aunor had long wanted younger generations to rediscover “Bona”—her 1980 classic with director and fellow National Artist Lino Brocka—via streaming platforms.
“It was one of her wishes for the film to be shown online,” said film archivist Jojo Devera, who was instrumental in the restoration process. “I hope this eventually happens now that the rights to ‘Bona’ are already with her children. The decision will all depend on them.”
Produced by Aunor’s NV Productions (after Nora Villamayor, her real name), “Bona” was first screened internationally at the Cannes Film Festival’s Directors’ Fortnight in 1981 and immediately drew the attention of film critics in Europe.
It was a unique film about showbiz, in that it focused on the ordinary lives of a film crew instead of the moguls and celebrities who are usually the subject of movies about moviemaking. Aunor also stood out for her portrayal of an obsessed fan of a bit-role actor, played by Philip Salvador also at the height of his fame.
In 2024, a newly restored version premiered under the Cannes Classics section, marking a significant milestone in Philippine cinema’s preservation efforts.
‘Growing interest’
Devera, a long-time supporter of Aunor and one of the key figures who initiated her nomination for National Artist in 2007, said the restoration was made possible after a print of “Bona” was discovered in Paris. The film has since been remastered for international and local audiences, with plans for wider distribution under consideration.
There are other plans to honor Aunor’s legacy through more restorations. For one, the Film Development Council of the Philippines is expected to screen the restored version of Gil Portes’ “‘Merika”—which Devera considers Aunor’s best performance—later this year.
“There’s growing interest in her work again,” said Devera. “People are starting to appreciate the scope of what she’s contributed.”
“For many of us, malaki ang kawalan ni Ate Guy (Guy’s death was a big loss to us),” he said, using the nickname fondly given to Aunor by her fans. “At least now, no more pain. It’s time for her to rest. But even then, when we heard the news, we still cried. We still wished she could’ve stayed a little longer.”
