Honoring Gloria Sevilla: Pagbalik (The Return)

Filmmaker Maria S. Ranillo and actor Matt Ranillo will be present for the Q&A after the screening.

Rica (50s), after working abroad comes home to stay with her ageing mother until she finds new work. She is disappointed to discover that all past years of sending money to the Philippines to repair their old home amounted to nothing. It looks the same way as she left it years ago. Her son, Vincent (18), is finishing college and needs to focus on his studies so Rica takes over to be a caregiver to her mom, Choleng (85).
Taking care of her stubborn elderly mother is a nightmare. She never thought that it can be so difficult. Choleng complains about everything and treats Rica like a child which she really despised. Afternoons are spent on prayer meetings and evenings on more praying.

Rica realizes that her mother’s difficult behavior is caused by her impaired hearing. With the help of their prayer meeting group they pitched in to buy her a hearing aid that she refuses to use.
It reaches a point that Rica and Choleng start fighting. Rica blames her mother for her futile sacrifice of working abroad. Rica decides to accept an offer to work abroad again.Choleng requests for her not to leave anymore. Rica thinks otherwise.

On the same evening, Choleng prays silently but earnestly in her room. Suddenly she chokes and breaks down, tears running down her eyes. She goes to sleep then into comma.
In the end, Rica learns what Choleng has done all the years that she was working abroad.

It is just refreshing to see once more this mother and daughter tandem who made history when Gloria and her daughter Nadia Veloso (aka Maria S. Ranillo/Suzette Ranillo) were awarded Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress at the 1973 FAMAS for the movie Gimingaw Ako.

Maria Suzette Sevilla Ranillo is a Filipino actress, producer, director, acting coach and advocate to the continuance of the Visayan Film Industry. Suzette who started acting when she was 12 yrs old, comes from a family of actors. She’s the daughter of the Queen of Visayan Movies, Gloria Sevilla and King of Visayan Movies, Mat Ranillo Jr. and the stepdaughter to former actor until he was appointed Philippine Consul General to San Francisco, Amado Cortez. A sister to actors Mat III, Dandin and Juni Ranillo, a sibling to Lilibeth, Jojo, and Inah. She has received numerous nominations and awards, notably 7th Urduja Film Festival Best Actress in a Cameo Role for “Jowable” and at the same time Best Supporting Actress for “Culion”, FAMAS Best Supporting Actress for “Gimingaw Ako”. Currently, she plays Auntie Salud in the TV series, Minsan Pa Nating Hagkan ang Nakaraan under TV 5 and Studio Viva. Suzette is proud and blessed for the opportunities given to her to show her God-given talent working in front and behind the camera.

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