Leonor Will Never Die

For the 10th edition of the Roffa Mon Amour film festival, we bring you a regal red carpet opening! If you’ve ever dreamt of strutting your stuff during Oscars or just having fancy drinks with your friends, the opening night for Leonor Will Never Die is not something you want to miss! The dresscode is formalwear: think that one extra-fine dress from your closet or the classiest suit you can put on. (Of course, your comfort takes priority, so put on whatever makes you look your best.)

Once the queen of Filipino cinema, filmmaker Leonor Reyes has since fallen from grace. Now, her former showbiz lifestyle degraded to one of poverty and obscurity. After a television accidentally lands on her head (?!!) and she ends up in a coma, Leonor becomes the main character in her latest unfinished screenplay. Leaving her son Rudie to watch over her comatose body, she enters a dreamlike adventure as her action-packed script starring macho Ronwaldo unfolds inside her head.

A loving testament to the kooky brainwork of a writer, Leonor Will Never Die opens up  the world of filmmaking from a Filipino point of view. Love for cinematography permeates every second of this surreal whirlwind, masterfully combining a family melodrama with a wild action showdown. One moment, you are in the real world as her son ponders what makes her write such aggressive yet quirky stories. Next moment, you’ll get an answer inside Leonor’s head as Leonor navigates her story, treating her characters with motherly strictness and love.

Martika Ramirez Escobar has been nursing this script since she was young, returning to it on and off in between other productions. Questioning how action stars in her country can become presidents, she wrote an answer for herself, marrying the planes of film and reality. The result? The Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival as Innovative Talent. Well-deserved indeed! And naturally, this quirky film with its playful spirit of creation is the perfect opening for Roffa Mon Amour’s anniversary edition.