Leonor Will Never Die
North American theatrical release poster
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
companies
Arkeofilms
ANIMA
Distributed byCercamon World Sales (Philippines)
Music Box Films (North America)[1]
Release dates
Running time
99 minutes
CountryPhilippines
LanguageFilipino
Box office$32,950[2][3]

Leonor Will Never Die (Filipino: Ang Pagbabalik ng Kwago, lit. "Return of the Owl") is a 2022 Filipino psychological comedy-drama film written and directed by Martika Ramirez Escobar, in her directorial debut. 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.[4]

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. The film received positive reviews, with Escobar being awarded the Special Jury Prize for Innovative Spirit.[5][6] The film also premiered in the Philippines, opening the 18th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival at the Cultural Center of the Philippines on August 5, 2022, marking the festival's return to on-site screening since the breakout of the COVID-19 pandemic.[7][8] It was acquired by Music Box Films for North American distribution in February 2022, and was released across North America in a limited release starting on November 25, 2022.

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, consisting of Leonor and her son Rudie, 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, an accident involving a television knocks her out and sends her into a coma. This transports Leonor inside the incomplete movie where she can play out her wildest dreams firsthand and discover the perfect ending to her story. Meanwhile, Rudie seeks to discover where his mother went.

Cast

  • Sheila Francisco as Leonor Reyes
  • Bong Cabrera as Rudie Reyes
  • 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
  • Tami Monsod as Dra. Valdez

Production

Crew

Role Crewmembers
Writer/Director Martika Ramirez Escobar
Producers Monster Jimenez & Mario Cornejo
Executive Producers Aurora Oreta, Martika Ramirez Escobar & Quark Henares
Associate Director Mikee De La Cruz
Line Producer Rajiv Idnani
Director of Photography Carlos Mauricio
Production Designer Eero Yves S. Francisco
Editor Lawrence S. Ang
Sound Corinne de San Jose
Music Alyana Cabral & Pan de Coco
Colorist Timmy Torres
VFX Artist Tricia Bernasor

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."[4] 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.[9][10] During that time, she also attended writing workshops of screenwriters Ricky Lee and Bong Lao.[11]

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.[4]

Filming and post-production

The film was shot in the Philippines from July to September 2019.[12] 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.[13]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 91% of 34 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.30/10. The website's consensus reads: "A delightfully unique tribute to the transporting power of cinema, Leonor Will Never Die marks director/co-writer Martika Ramirez Escobar as a talent to watch."[14] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 72 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[15]

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."[16] 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."[17] 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."[18]

Along with The New York Times,[16] the film is considered one of the best films of the 2022 Sundance Film Festival by The Atlantic[19] and Vogue.[20]

Accolades

At Sundance, the film was awarded the Special Jury Prize for Innovative Spirit. In recognition of the accolades of Leonor 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."[21]

Year Film Festival Award Result Ref.
2022 CAAMFest Comcast Xfinity Narrative Award Won
Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival Special Jury Mention - Narrative Feature Won
Razor Reel Fantastic Film Festival Youngblood Award Won
Toronto International Film Festival Amplify Voices Won
Sundance Film Festival World Cinema Dramatic Competition Special Jury Prize: Innovative Spirit Won [22]
2023 Independent Spirit Awards Best International Film Nominated [23]


References

  1. ↑ "Sundance 2022 Deals: 'Leonor Will Never Die' is the Latest Festival Acquisition — Complete List". February 15, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Leonor Will Never Die (2022)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Leonor Will Never Die (2022)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 Nepales, Ruben V. (January 21, 2022). "A Pinay filmmaker on her clever, inventive Sundance entry". Rappler. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Two Filipino films take home Sundance 2022 awards". Rappler. January 29, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  6. ↑ 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.
  7. ↑ "'Leonor Will Never Die' to open Cinemalaya Film Festival 2022". Rappler. July 29, 2022. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  8. ↑ Pagulong, Charmie Joy. "Sundance winner Leonor Will Never Die sets Cinemalaya 18 in motion". The Philippine Star. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
  9. ↑ Liwag, Jason Tan (January 20, 2022). "Creating the 'forever film' with Martika Ramirez Escobar". Rappler. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  10. ↑ 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.
  11. ↑ Jaucian, Don (January 21, 2022). "Into a Pinoy action film writer's mind with Martika Ramirez Escobar". CNN Philippines. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  12. ↑ Asilo, Rito P. (December 13, 2021). "From stage to Sundance: Sheila Francisco in uncharted territory". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Two Filipino films to compete in Sundance fest". Manila Standard. December 23, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Leonor Will Never Die". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Leonor Will Never Die". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  16. 1 2 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.
  17. ↑ Gates, Marya E. (January 23, 2022). "Sundance 2022: Leonor Will Never Die, Utama, You Won't Be Alone". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  18. ↑ 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.
  19. ↑ Li, Shirley; Sims, David (January 28, 2022). "16 Indie Films to Get Excited About This Year". The Atlantic. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  20. ↑ "The 13 Best Films From This Year's Sundance Film Festival". Vogue. January 28, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  21. ↑ Policarpio, Allan (January 30, 2022). "2 Filipino indie films bag 'historic' wins at Sundance". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  22. ↑ 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.
  23. ↑ Davis, Clayton (November 22, 2022). "Independent Spirit Awards Nominations: 'Everything Everywhere' Leads With Eight Noms". Variety. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
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