Therese Malvar, ‘Hamog’ charm Moscow

THERESE Malvar and Ralston Jover in Shanghai

FILMMAKER Ralston Jover was initially incredulous upon hearing the name of Therese Malvar, who won best actress at the awards show of the 38th Moscow International Film Festival, held in Russia on Thursday.

“The ceremony was in Russian,” Jover told the Inquirer via Facebook Messenger.

He was fixing the earphones for the English translation when Malvar’s name was suddenly announced. “I was surprised, but super proud of Therese’s latest achievement. I heard the jury was unanimous in choosing her.”

Jover accepted the Silver St. George trophy on Malvar’s behalf. The GMA 7 teen actress couldn’t attend the Russian fest because she was en route to the United States, to receive Screen International’s Rising Star Award at the 15th New York Asian Film Festival.

“I feel so honored because Direk told me it was unanimous,” Malvar told the Inquirer via Facebook Messenger. “I am so grateful to Direk Ralston for opening many doors for me because of his spectacular film.”

“Every time I mentioned Therese’s awards—from Cinema One to New York—the audience clapped loudly,” he recalled.

Jover related that “Hamog” was one of the more popular entries in the Moscow fest’s main competition. The film likewise won the Russian Critics’ Group’s best film honor. “It was given by an independent group of film reviewers,” Jover explained. “It’s an alternative point of view from the jury.”

Audience response was “mostly warm and approving,” he recounted. “Young and old were able to relate to the film’s story. The most common question involved Therese’s character, Jinky. They asked why she killed her masters.”

“Hamog” follows abused and abandoned children, surviving in the mean streets of Manila.

“At the press conference, some journalists compared my film to  ‘Son of Saul,’ which won best foreign language film at this year’s Oscars. Like the Hungarian movie, ‘Hamog’ shows people burying a loved one. It was also likened to Roman Polanski’s ‘The Pianist,’ because ‘Hamog’ tackles society’s indifference to people living in the streets.”

Jover pointed out that, aside from Malvar, the acting of Zaijian Jaranilla was similarly praised by viewers.

JOVER guests on critic Kirill Razlogov’s show “Cult Cinema” Facebook

Malvar is the fourth—and youngest at 15 years old—performer to win best actress in an A-list film festival, after Nora Aunor for Joel Lamangan’s “The Flor Contemplacion Story” in Cairo (1995), Eugene Domingo for Jun Robles Lana’s “Barber’s Tales” in Tokyo (2013), and Jaclyn Jose for Brillante Ma. Mendoza’s “Ma’ Rosa” in Cannes (2016).

“Hamog” also won the Outstanding Artistic Achievement award in another A-list fest, the 19th Shanghai International Film Festival in China on June 19.

The film was an entry in last year’s Cinema One Originals—where it won special jury prize, best actress (for Malvar), best supporting actor (Bor Lentejas) and best editing (Charliebebs Gohetia).