Nora Aunor was a star who broke the status quo, championed PH cinema
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Nora Aunor poses on the red carpet of the 7th Asian Film Awards in Hong Kong on March 18, 2013. Image: AFP/Philippe Lopez
Despite her humility and compassion for the needy, one of the reasons why the late Nora Aunor is revered as the country’s Superstar was because she was a rebel in nature, according to her good friends Joel Lamangan, Charo Santos-Concio and fellow National Artist Ricky Lee.
Apart from her extensive body of work, Aunor shattered the traditional standards of a Filipino leading lady (setting herself apart from her mestiza and taller counterparts) and continued to preserve the art of local cinema through the varying roles she took over the years.
“Rebelde si Guy. Sa loob ng pitong dekada ay nilabanan niya ang status quo (Guy was a rebel. She fought the status quo for seven decades),” Lee said of the National Artist during his tribute speech at the Metropolitan Theater on Tuesday, April 22.
“Binago niya ang kolonyal na nagsasabing mga mapuputi lang at matatangkad ang maganda sa puting tabing. Ginampanan niya ang papel ng mga babaeng palaban at makatotohanan. Naging madre siya, bilanggo, lesbian, NPA, OFW, kabit, anak na naging kaagaw ng ina sa pag-ibig, alalay, kontrabida, Muslim, Igorota, binukot, may dementia, mamamatay-tao,” he further explained.
(She changed the colonial mindset of the industry that says only the mestizas and statuesque actresses have a shot at fame. She successfully portrayed the role of a fierce and honest woman. She was a nun, a criminal, a lesbian, a member of the New People’s Army, an overseas Filipino worker, a mistress, a daughter who competed with her mother for their love interest, a maid, a villain, a Muslim, an Igorot, a woman who lives in seclusion, someone diagnosed with dementia, and a killer.)
‘REBELDE SI GUY’
WATCH: National Artist Ricky Lee spoke of the late Nora Aunor’s “rebellious nature” during his tribute speech, saying her determination to break the status quo is one of her defining moments as a Superstar. @inquirerdotnet pic.twitter.com/wJrRrdlzuN
— Hannah Mallorca (@HMallorcaINQ) April 22, 2025
A fearless actress
Throughout her decades-long career, Aunor starred in 170 films including “Himala,” “Bona,” “Thy Womb,” “Bulaklak sa City Jail,” “The Flor Contemplacion Story,” “Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos,” “Minsa’y Isang Gamu-gamo,” “Ina Ka ng Anak Mo,” “Bakit May Kahapon Pa?” and “Bilangin ang mga Bituin sa Langit,” among many others.
Lee also reiterated that Aunor was fearless in selecting the roles to portray. Unlike her counterparts who always portrayed the lead with a happy ending, she was not afraid to die, Lee noted.
“Sa isang panahong hindi tanggap ng mga tao na namamatay ang bida sa ending, namatay siya sa ‘Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos,’ ‘Himala,’ ‘Nakaw na Pag-ibig,’ ‘Andrea,’ ‘Flor Contemplacion’ at iba pa,” he said.
“Marami siyang binasag at binagong paniniwala. Ipinakita niyang mahalaga ang nararamdaman ng mga taong nasa gilid ng lipunan, may mga boses na kailangang pakinggan. Pinili niyang huwag lang maging superstar, kundi maging isang tunay na artista ng bayan.”
(In an era where people didn’t accept the lead star dying in the ending, she died in “Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos,” “Himala,” “Nakaw na Pag-ibig,” “Andrea,” “Flor Contemplacion,” and other films. She shattered the status quo and changed people’s mindsets. She proved that it’s important to empathize with the poor and that there are voices that need to be heard. She chose not to be a Superstar, but to be an actress for her country.)
Love for her craft, industry
On the other hand, Lamangan admitted during his eulogy that Aunor’s “expressive eyes” were what caught his attention the most and that her eagerness to prove that films are so much more than a form of entertainment stayed with him.
‘MAHAL NI NORA AUNOR ANG PELIKULA’
WATCH: Director-actor Joel Lamangan spoke of the late Nora Aunor’s passion for film during his tribute speech at the MET, noting that her determination to champion local film is something that people should learn from. | @HMallorcaINQ
READ… pic.twitter.com/3BQnN33N2F
— Inquirer (@inquirerdotnet) April 22, 2025
“Hindi dapat tingnan ang pelikula na isang maliit na bagay lamang. Ito ay malaking bagay bilang potent medium na naiintidinhan ng mga karaniwang tao. Ito ang pinaglalaban ni Nora Aunor,” he said. “Mahal ni Nora Aunor ang pelikula. Kailangang mahalin natin ang pelikula dahil ito ay mataas na [uri] na expresyon.”
(Films should not be viewed as a small thing. It is a potent medium that the ordinary person understands. This is what Nora Aunor stood for. Nora Aunor loved films. We must love films as well because it is the highest form of human expression.)
From acting to transforming
Santos-Concio, on the other hand, confessed in her eulogy that she had long been a diehard Noranian, even before she worked and became friends with her. As she had the chance to know Aunor behind the scenes, she shared that she remained in awe of her innate ability to disappear into her characters.
“She didn’t act. She transformed. Ang gumaganap kay Nora ay hindi mukha o
katawan kundi ang kaluluwa (Nora doesn’t just act with her face or body, but also her soul). There’s something about her that cannot be explained by technique alone. She is raw. She is real. She is authentic. She doesn’t act. She becomes. She transforms,” she said.
‘SHE DIDN’T ACT, SHE TRANSFORMED’
WATCH: In her eulogy for Nora Aunor, Charo Santos-Concio praised the screen veteran’s effortless ability to completely disappear into her character and feel her soul. @inquirerdotnet pic.twitter.com/bzUo8ILcwW
— Hannah Mallorca (@HMallorcaINQ) April 22, 2025
Santos-Concio also spoke highly of Aunor’s “madness,” which also reflected on her “genius” as an actress.
“Hindi lang siya artista. Siya ay alagad ng sining. May lalim. May tapang. May puso. It was part of her process. Her magic. Her madness. Alam mong may pinaghuhugutan. May lungkot. May apoy. May madness — but beneath that madness, there was genius. And when she is in her element, when the camera starts rolling, she’s unstoppable,” she said.
(She was not only an actress. She was a disciple of art. She was a deep woman who possessed bravery and heart. It was part of her process, her magic and her madness. You know that she indeed carried something through her roles. There was sadness, fire and madness. But beneath that madness, there was genius. And when she is in her element, when the camera starts rolling, she’s unstoppable.)
