GMA Films’ 1998 classic masterpiece Jose Rizal will be screened on March 4, 2022 at the cinematheque of the Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid, Spain. Also shown last February 18, the three-hour epic on the life and struggles of the Philippines’ national hero, is part of the museum’s retrospective of the works of Philippines National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts, Eric de Guia, more popularly known as Kidlat Tahimik.
The film was directed by the late veteran director, Marilou Diaz-Abaya and starred Cesar Montano in the title role. Mr. de Guia personally recommended Jose Rizal as a reference film for his work and to provide the Spanish audience with important historical background of Spanish-Filipino relations.
The retrospective of Mr. de Guia’s work, which runs from February 10 to March 5, showcases five of his feature films that begins with his career in cinema as an actor and his eventual rise to become one of the pioneer filmmakers of Philippine avant-garde cinema.
In fact, Mr. de Guia was part of the Jose Rizal cast. “I have a small cameo role in this film – Rizal comes back from Spain and meets Andres Bonifacio in a La Liga meeting. I am one of the La Liga organizers,” recalls de Guia.
The Reina Sofia Museum obtained the rights to screen Jose Rizal from GMA through the cooperation of The Film Development Council of the Philippines and GMA’s content distribution arm, GMA Worldwide Division.
At the time of its theatrical release 24 years ago, Jose Rizal was the most expensive film in the history of Philippine cinema with a budget of over PHP80 million. After receiving critical acclaim and box office success in the Philippines, the film was screened in international film festivals in Berlin, Toronto, and Chicago.
