NORA Aunor in “Thy Womb” Photo: thywomb facebook
For years now, many people in show business have been dismissing Nora Aunor as an aging has-been. Yes, they concede, her stellar reign was long and phenomenal, but she’s no longer bankable as a TV-movie draw. Partly due to her own failure to appreciate and treasure the amazing good fortune that has come her way for decades, she’s “history.”
For our part, we see the “logic” behind such a cynical verdict—but we refuse to similarly lose hope in Nora, and resolutely believe, contra mundum, that she still has some great performances left in her.
That’s why, as per her request, we’ve been urging producers to give her yet another chance to prove that she’s still one of the finest screen thespians we have.
Alas, our entreaties haven’t exactly fired up many producers. In fact, one of them sadly or archly (take your pick) sighed that Nora was so “past tense” that the best he could offer was an insultingly paltry talent fee, should he even consider bankrolling her comeback vehicle.
It’s a good thing that other people who still believe in Nora have done much better in the convincing department.
Last year, they helped swing a drama series (“Sa Ngalan ng Ina”) for her at TV5. Even if the show wasn’t a big hit, it did remind viewers and other producers of Nora’s unusual talent.
More recently, the acclaimed actress has found a new champion in ace filmmaker Brillante Mendoza, who gave her a plum role in his latest film, “Thy Womb,” which went all the way to the Venice International Film Festival.
In Italy, “Thy Womb” won several citations, including a special award for Nora, in recognition of her complex characterization in Mendoza’s similarly acclaimed ethnic drama.
Best of all, the filmmaker has pledged to work with Nora again, and we trust that their new collaboration will once more prove us right when we stubbornly declare against all odds, that Nora still has some memorable portrayals left in her.
Nora’s latest successes have thrilled her other “stubborn” loyalists. Even better, they’ve given the star a psychic adrenaline boost, and she now wants to challenge herself with increasingly more difficult films, TV dramas and stage plays, to share with the multimedia audience how much she’s matured as an actress.
Given her new enthusiasm and ebullience, we no longer have to convince many people that, despite all the ups and downs of her checkered career, her exceptional talent is still worth caring about, and supporting.
Why are we so sure? We worked with Nora a long time ago, when her stellar career was flying really high, and even then, we could see that, when the spirit moved her, she was capable of exceptional work.
Yes, she could sometimes be her own worst enemy, but when she put her mind to it, she could be, quite simply, the best! That’s good enough for us, and we confidently rest our case.
Now, it’s time for Nora to prove us and her other supporters right. Now that she’s matured and hopefully learned from her debacles, we trust that she won’t fail us— and, more importantly, herself!