Leonor Will Never Die

Leonor Will Never Die is a 2022 Filipino psychological comedy-drama film. It is the feature film directorial debut of Martika Ramirez Escobar, who also wrote the screenplay. The film stars Sheila Francisco as a retired screenwriter who, after falling into a coma, finds herself the action hero of her unfinished screenplay. The supporting cast includes Bong Cabrera, Rocky Salumbides, and Anthony Falcon. The film is an homage to Filipino action films of the 1970s and '80s.[2]

Leonor Will Never Die
Directed byMartika Ramirez Escobar
Written byMartika Ramirez Escobar
Produced byMonster Jimenez
Mario Cornejo
StarringSheila Francisco
Bong Cabrera
Rocky Salumbides
Anthony Falcon
CinematographyCarlos Mauricio
Edited byLawrence Ang
Music byAlyana Cabral
Pan De Coco
Production
company
Arkeofilms
Distributed byMusic Box Films (North America)[1]
Release date
  • January 21, 2022 (2022-01-21) (Sundance Film Festival)
CountryPhilippines
LanguageFilipino

Leonor Will Never Die premiered at the World Cinema Dramatic Competition of the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, the first Filipino film to compete since The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros in 2006. Escobar was awarded the Special Jury Prize for Innovative Spirit.[3][4]

Plot summary

Leonor Reyes (Sheila Francisco) was once a major player in the Filipino film industry after creating a string of successful action films, but now her household struggles to pay the bills. When she reads an advertisement looking for screenplays, Leonor begins tinkering with an unfinished script about the quest of young, noble Ronwaldo (Rocky Salumbides), forced to avenge his brother’s murder at the hand of thugs. While her imagination provides some escape from reality, she goes all-in after an accident involving a television knocks her out, sends her into a coma, and transports her inside the incomplete movie. Now Leonor can play out her wildest dreams firsthand and discover the perfect ending to her story.

Cast
  • Sheila Francisco as Leonor
  • Bong Cabrera as Rudie
  • Rocky Salumbides as Ronwaldo
  • Anthony Falcon as Dead Ronwaldo
  • Allan Bautista as Valentin
  • Rea Molina as Isabella
  • Ryan Eigenmann as Ricardo
  • John Paulo Rodriguez as Junior
  • Dido Dela Paz as Mayor
  • Neomi Monsod as Dra. Valdez

Production

Concept and development

The idea for the film came to Escobar when she was a young girl after action star-turned-politician Joseph Estrada was elected President of the Philippines. In the film's production notes, Escobar comments, "Today, decades later, after having two more ‘action star’ presidents [Estrada and the failed bid of Fernando Poe Jr.], I find myself questioning this absurd reality and am surprised by how easy it can be understood once I place it in parallel with our love for movies."[2] After graduating from the University of the Philippines Diliman with a film degree, Escobar began working on the screenplay and continued to edit and revise it over the next eight years while she worked as a cinematographer on other films.[5][6] During that time, she also attended writing workshops of screenwriters Ricky Lee and Bong Lao.[7]

Casting

For the role of Leonor, Escobar was looking for "someone who feels like they fit in that macho world, with the intelligence and sharpness of a writer, and the tough tenderness of a mother." The film's producer, Monster Jimenez, recommended Sheila Francisco after seeing her in the stage musical drama Ang Huling El Bimbo.[2]

Filming and post-production

The film was shot in the Philippines from July to September 2019.[8] The film was supported by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) through its CreatePHFilms funding program and sponsored under its Full Circle Lab-Philippines development program.[9]

Reception

In a wrap-up of Sundance, The New York Times film critic A.O. Scott calls the film "wonderfully unclassifiable" and says "the combination of family melodrama, pulpy violence and surreal comedy add up to the disarmingly tender portrait of an artist on the edge of the afterlife."[10] Marya Gates of RogerEbert.com says the film "establishes writer/director Martika Ramirez Escobar as an artist with a singular voice and bright future in halls of weird cinema," with Sheila Francisco "an utter delight as Leonor."[11] In a mixed review, Amy Nicholson of Variety writes that it is "creative and clever – perhaps too clever" as towards the end of the film "the script’s ambitions have outreached its grasp, even with the formidable Francisco holding the stories’ layers together."[12]

Along with The New York Times,[10] the film is considered one of the best films of the 2022 Sundance Film Festival by The Atlantic[13] and Vogue.[14]

Accolades

At Sundance, the film was awarded the Special Jury Prize for Innovative Spirit. In recognition of the accolades of Leonora Will Never Die, as well as for the Short Film Grand Jury Prize-winner The Headhunter's Daughter, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) chair Liza Diño-Seguerra described the moment as "Philippines Cinema's historic win at the Sundance," adding that the filmmakers are "writing history."[15]

Year Film Festival Award
2022 Sundance Film Festival, United States World Cinema Dramatic Competition Special Jury Prize: Innovative Spirit

References
  1. "Sundance 2022 Deals: 'Leonor Will Never Die' is the Latest Festival Acquisition — Complete List". 15 February 2022.
  2. Nepales, Ruben V. (January 21, 2022). "A Pinay filmmaker on her clever, inventive Sundance entry". Rappler. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  3. "Two Filipino films take home Sundance 2022 awards". Rappler. January 29, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  4. Iglesias, Iza (January 29, 2022). "PH film 'Leonor Will Never Die' wins Special Jury Prize at 2022 Sundance Film Fest". The Manila Times. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  5. Liwag, Jason Tan (January 20, 2022). "Creating the 'forever film' with Martika Ramirez Escobar". Rappler. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  6. Policarpio, Allan (February 4, 2022). "For 1st Pinoy feature filmmaker to win at Sundance Martika Ramirez Escobar, victory comes with a responsibility". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  7. Jaucian, Don (January 21, 2022). "Into a Pinoy action film writer's mind with Martika Ramirez Escobar". CNN Philippines. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  8. Asilo, Rito P. (December 13, 2021). "From stage to Sundance: Sheila Francisco in uncharted territory". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  9. "Two Filipino films to compete in Sundance fest". Manila Standard. December 23, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  10. Scott, A. O.; Dargis, Manohla (February 1, 2022). "Sundance Wrap-Up: 6 Movies We Like and One We Disagree on". The New York Times. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  11. Gates, Marya E. (January 23, 2022). "Sundance 2022: Leonor Will Never Die, Utama, You Won't Be Alone". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  12. Nicholson, Amy (January 21, 2022). "'Leonor Will Never Die' Review: A Female Filmmaker Steers Her Own Story in a Kooky Filipino Meta-Film". Variety. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  13. Li, Shirley; Sims, David (January 28, 2022). "16 Indie Films to Get Excited About This Year". The Atlantic. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  14. "The 13 Best Films From This Year's Sundance Film Festival". Vogue. January 28, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  15. Policarpio, Allan (January 30, 2022). "2 Filipino indie films bag 'historic' wins at Sundance". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
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