Letter from Pierre Rissent in Cannes

dear Tikoy (Aguiluz), Laurice Guillen, Mara and Jose F. Lacaba, Mike de Leon, Doy del Mundo,

it was a real pleasure to meet with Laurice and Doy in Singapore.

Almost upon my arrival in Paris, Olivier Père in charge today of the Director's fortnight with a a young team invited me for a screening of the new film of Mario O' Hara which he had just invited.

It is probably very personal but looking at the film was like living again all the happenings of the late seventies and the early eighties as well the makings of the films in the streets and the slums, the evenings of PETA at Fort Santiago, the screenings at LVN, the giant political rallyes, the vaudeville disputes with the censorship, the film of Mario reflects and
chronicles all of that and more - and certainly the music track is nostalgic.

I also remembered all the technical difficulties which we had to overcome, printing, subtitling and this is also why I am writing this e-mail fax - in whatever capacity you can, please contribute to make this comeback at Cannes in the section, where "Insiang" and Mike's films came, as successful as
possible - and it will be a celebration of Lino and Hammy who would have rejoiced the event, a celebration of CineManila as well as of "Maynila" ("Maynila sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag" (Manila in the Claws of Neon, 1975).

The young gentlemen of the Quinzaine did not know that Tikoy named his Festival from the company which produced "Tinimbang" ("Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang" (You Were Judged But Found Wanting, 1974), maybe Doy could write a note about it, Pete about the political turmoils, Mike about the role of LVN, Laurice as an early collaborator of Mario, Tikoy as a young spectator.

Maybe all of you together will convince Mario, who I believe is afraid to fly, to make an exception.

In France, we are still a few to remember those great moments, we shall all be happy to welcome him, hoping that the Filipino film industry will start again, look at what has happened in the recent years in Korea and Thailand. There are signals in Sri Lanka, where Lester James Peries at 82 made a great classical film, and Malaysia of something new, nothing would make more happy Francisco Baltazar, Jose Rizal, Gerardo de Leon, Lino, Ishmael and Hammy if the same happens within the Philippine Islands.

-Pierre Rissent