After St. Paul University in Quezon City for the rescreening of the classic film "Anak," a project of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) "Cine Icons," it was Vilma Santos' turn to take the University of Santo Tomas (UST) students down memory lane of the same film.
"Anak," a Star Cinema production in 2000, written by National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Ricky Lee, is about an OFW mother who suffers the disintegration of her family due to her absence.
It was time to shine the spotlight on National Artists' significant contributions to Philippine cinema as Ricky shared the stage with Vilma after the showing of the Rory Quintos-directed film which was top billed by the Star for All Seasons.
Vilma, a native of Cabanatuan City in Nueva Ecija was a hit with the Thomasians.
According to UST Prof. Augusto Antonio Aguila, PhD, who co-emceed the talkback session with JV Ibesante, Vilma Santos-Recto was a crowd-drawer at the Pier Blessed Giorgio Frassati Auditorium in España, Manila.
It was an animated interaction among students, teachers, professional staff and guests at UST about the relevance of the film that still resonates at this point in our national life when Filipino families in the homeland are easily broken because of the parents’ work abroad.
Vi and Ricky were passionate about answering the queries from the audience.
Santos-Recto was magic in the academic community.
According to Prof. Aguila’s post-mortem in his Facebook about the attraction of Ate (a term of endearment to an older woman/sister by blood or affinity) Vi during the UST event: "There is something truly magical about Ms. Vilma Santos Recto. When Vilma makes an entrance, her presence lights up the room, the crowd goes wild, and suddenly your world stops, because you realize that you’re in the presence of greatness. The first time I met Vilma in person was when I attended the screening of ANAK at St. Paul’s University in Quezon City. I have seen and conversed with quite a number of actors and movie stars in the past which was part of my job in one of my previous positions in the University, but I have never seen anyone who emits that kind of light, a beautiful and warm and almost blinding light as Vilma Santos..."
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