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Tuesday, September 17, 2013

DAHIL MAHAL KITA: THE DOLZURA CORTEZ STORY (1993)

“Hindi ako naniniwala…Putang…anong karapatan mong sabihin sa akin yan?! Diyos ka ba?! Ikaw ba na nagbigay ng buhay sa akin?! Sino ka ba?…Akala mo alam n’yo nang lahat ayoko nito! Akala mo alam n’yong lahat hah..Ayoko nito…ayoko nito..ayoko pang mamatay!…anong mangyayari sa mga anak ko…mga putang ina n’yo…ayoko nito!” - Dolzura Cortez


Basic Information: Directed: Laurice Guillen; Story: Dolzura Cortez; Screenplay: Ricardo Lee; Cast: Vilma Santos, Christopher De Leon, Charito Solis, Jackie Aquino, Christine Bersola, Noni Buencamino, Maila Gumila, Mia Gutierrez, Gigette Reyes, Gilleth Sandico, Eula Valdez, Mikee Villanueva, Nonie Buecamino, Jaime Blanch, John Caddi, Tess Dumpit, Chris Michelena, Sharme Centenera, Ernie Zarate, Pocholo Montes, Gil Portes; Original Music: Nonong Buencamino; Cinematography: Eduardo Jacinto; Film Editing: Efren Jarlego; Production Design: Edgar Martin Littaua; Sound: Monching Reyes; Theme Songs: “Dahil Mahal Kita” sung by Ogie Alcasid; Executive producer: Orly Ilacad

Plot Description: Based on Ma. Ceres P. Doyo’s award-winning series in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, this film chronicles the life of Dolzura Cortez, the first Filipina to bravely come out in public and admit she was afflicted with AIDS; thus finally giving a face to an AIDS patient. – Philippine Movies Data base

This Philippine drama chronicles the colorful life of Dolzura Cortez, the first publicly recognized AIDS patient in the Philippines. The film begins with a brief examination of Cortez’s pre-AIDS life. Initially she lived in a small village with her cruel husband and three kids. The spunky woman leaves them and moves to the big city where she engages in several affairs. Her second marriage to a rich foreigner does not last long. To support her children, Dolly begins an all woman “contract worker” agency. This also serves to facilitate her love of night-life. Tragedy comes to Dolzura after she collapses on a dance floor one night and learns that she has full-blown AIDS. At a Manila hospital she meets ex-lover Paulo, an AIDS researcher who encourages to tell her story publicly. The courageous woman does and she becomes instrumental in spreading AIDS awareness to the islands. - Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide, The New York Times

Ma. Dolzura Cortez (d. 1992) is the first Filipino AIDS victim who came out in the open to tell about her life and how she acquired the AIDS virus. Her life story was made into the 1993 Filipino film Dahil Mahal Kita (English “Because I Love You: The Dolzura Cortez Story”), directed by Laurice Guillen and starring Vilma Santos as Cortez. – Wikepedia

"...Life story of the Philippine's first publicly acknowledged AIDS patient, a woman who leaves her husband in her home village for the big city. Here she indulges in love-affairs that end her second marriage with a wealthy foreigner..." - British Film Institute (READ MORE)

Cortez was the first Filipino with full-blown Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) to come out and tell her story. Past interviews with Filipinos afflicted with AIDS had been on condition that no names were mentioned and no photographs were taken. Cortez not only allowed the publication of her name but also her photograph. She also gave the Inquirer a photograph of herself before she got AIDS. Her before-and-after-AIDS pictures were revealing?they showed the readers how ravaging the disease could be. Cortez?s story serialized from Aug. 31 to Sept, 3, 1992, gave AIDS a ?name and face.? It got tremendous response from readers and helped raise awareness of the disease. Doyo also won a number of awards and a full-length movie was produced on Cortez's life. - Lawrence de Guzman (READ MORE)

Film Achievement: Special screening – the 1994 San Francisco Asian-American International Film Festival; Special screening – the 1994 Amsterdam Film Festival; FAP Luna: Best Actress – Vilma Santos, Best Musical Score – Nonong Buencamino, Best Story Adaptation – Ricardo Lee; Manila Film Festival Best Actres – Vilma Santos; Gawad Urian: Best Actress – Vilma Santos. Best Music – Nonong Buencamino, Best Director nomination – Laurice Guillen, Best Picture nomination – Octo Arts; STAR Best Actress – Vilma Santos; Movie Magazine Best Actress – Vilma Santos; Intrigue Magazine Reader’s Choice Best Actress – Vilma Santos; New Fame Magazine Reader’s Choice Best Actress – Vilma Santos; FAMAS: Circle of Excellence -Vilma Santos, Best Director Nomination – Laurice Guillen, Best Picture Nomination – OctoArts Films; YCC Award Best Performance Nominations – Ensemble in Leading or Supporting Role – Vilma Santos; "Love and respect were the two things that AIDS patients would like people to give them” was the message of Vilma on her acceptance speech at Star Awards where she won best actress for Dolzura Cortez."

Film Reviews: This Philippine drama chronicles the colorful life of Dolzura Cortez, the first publicly recognized AIDS patient in the Philippines. The film begins with a brief examination of Cortez’s pre-AIDS life. Initially she lived in a small village with her cruel husband and three kids. The spunky woman leaves them and moves to the big city where she engages in several affairs. Her second marriage to a rich foreigner does not last long. To support her children, Dolly begins an all woman “contract worker” agency. This also serves to facilitate her love of night-life. Tragedy comes to Dolzura after she collapses on a dance floor one night and learns that she has full-blown AIDS. At a Manila hospital she meets ex-lover Paulo, an AIDS researcher who encourages to tell her story publicly. The courageous woman does and she becomes instrumental in spreading AIDS awareness to the islands. It was the first movie on AIDS in the Philippines that provided ‘a name and a face’ among the 50 recorded lives that were lost to AIDS in 1992. This movie was utilized as a focus of discussion by some health care personnel to express their thoughts, opinions and recommendations regarding the use of cinema as a powerful tool for AIDS information dissemination. - You and Aids

The “Dolzura Cortez Story” was the Philippines’ first movie on AIDS that provided ‘a name and a face’ among the 50 recorded lives that were lost to AIDS in 1992. This movie was utilized as a focus of discussion by some health care personnel to express their thoughts, opinions and recommendations regarding the use of cinema as a powerful tool for AIDS information dissemination. Responding to a newspaper advertisement looking for a person with AIDS, Ms. Dolzura Cortez agreed to have her life story serialized in print and later developed into a movie. The “Dolzura Cortez Story” was subsequently produced as the Philippines’ first movie on AIDS which documented the real experiences of a person living with AIDS in the country. The author reports findings from a study conducted to determine the social impact of the movie as perceived by some health care personnel. Specifically, it aimed to identify the messages that health care providers derived from watching the movie and to make recommendations on how this and subsequent films could serve as an effective tool for AIDS education. 134 health care personnel representing 13 regional hospitals from all over the country watched the film, then answered a questionnaire.

The sample was of mean age 35.6 years, 84.3% female, and with mean experience of 10.1 years. 20.1% were doctors, 21.6% nurses, 32.4% social workers, and 25.4% other health personnel. 22.9% had direct experience caring for persons with AIDS and 32.8% knew someone with AIDS. Although these participants perceived some simple and subtle messages from the movie, they also noted its shortcomings. The movie lacked realism; overemphasized the dangers of having multiple sex partners at the expense of warning about other risk factors for HIV transmission; the counsellor pressured the patient and failed to provide enough information on infection control; the psychosocial, economic, and spiritual concerns of people with AIDS were not addressed; and there were some misinterpretations and twisted truths about AIDS facts and the story itself. The respondents suggested that health care providers and people directly involved in AIDS education and counseling be involved in the production of such movies. Moreover, documentary pictures and testimonial footage of the woman would have added realism, while additional basic information about AIDS could have been mentioned in either the movie or a trailer. - NCBI

‘Dolzura Cortez Story’ is an artistic and brilliant film from Manila’s finest director. The movie’s leading actress, Ms. Santos, played her part so powerfully, and is very convincing as Dolzura, the first Filipino HIV/AIDS patient to come- out to the public. The movie is a thought- provoking film, ready to challenge the Filipino idea of what is right and what is wrong. – Jonard, IMDB, March 11, 2000

This dramatized life story of the Philippines' first publicly acknowledged AIDS patient takes a classic women's-pic inspirational approach, giving star Vilma Santos ample opportunity to demonstrate spunk and teary histrionics. Obviously intended to educate home auds, pic is lively enough to interest specialized fests abroad. Initial 40 minutes are a whirlwind tour of Dolzura Cortez's pre-diagnosis adult life. Dolly abandons her small village and nasty husband, leaving with her three kids for the big city where she indulges in love affairs that end her second marriage to a wealthy foreigner. Irrepressible, Dolly starts a femme "contract worker" agency, living the nightclub high life to support her brood. A sudden collapse on a discotheque floor presages diagnosis of full-blown AIDS. Moved to a Manila hospital ward, Dolly encounters old lover Paulo, now an AIDS researcher. He eventually convinces her to reveal herself via newspaper interviews, lending a "human face" to the hitherto anonymous specter of local AIDS paranoia. Before her 1992 death, Cortez apparently did much to educate Filipinos and alleviate their baseless fears of casual contagion.

Pic engenders sympathy in the right ways, taking pains to counter charges that AIDS is "God's punishment." The identity of Dolly's "infector" is also pointedly left unknown, in line with anti-stigmatizing message. Portrayal of illness (especially Kaposi's sarcoma lesions) is graphic. Yet while film scoffs at virus-hysterical reactions by the public and the media, it oddly fails to spell out transmission-risking behaviors and safer-sex techniques, beyond passing mention of condoms. Leading Philippine actress Santos cuts a Susan Hayward-worthy swath early on as the hearty, partying gal who loves being "chased by men," and later in various stalwart/angry/agonized postures. "Nothing can put me down, not even this disease!" she cries. While death throes are melodramatically prolonged, this showy perf gives film its driving force. Director Laurice Guillen's supporting cast and tech values are above average; smart pace flags occasionally in the second half. As usual with Philippine features, dialogue mixes Tagalog with English phrases. - Dennis Harvey, Variety (READ MORE)

Defining Moments - "...Other scoops are spectacular in terms of their instant impact or how they led to defining moments in Philippine history. An example of a high-impact scoop was the Dolzura Cortez story by Ceres Doyo in 1992. On the other hand, a February 2001 story on the last days of the Estrada administration, as reported by then Executive Secretary Edgardo Angara, was an example of a scoop that changed the course of our history. Cortez was the first Filipino with full-blown Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) to come out and tell her story. Past interviews with Filipinos afflicted with AIDS had been on condition that no names were mentioned and no photographs were taken. Cortez not only allowed the publication of her name but also her photograph. She also gave the Inquirer a photograph of herself before she got AIDS. Her before-and-after-AIDS pictures were revealing?they showed the readers how ravaging the disease could be. Cortez's story serialized from Aug. 31 to Sept, 3, 1992, gave AIDS a "name and face." It got tremendous response from readers and helped raise awareness of the disease. Doyo also won a number of awards and a full-length movie was produced on Cortez's life...." - Lawrence de Guzman, Minerva Generalao, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 29 Nov 2010 (READ MORE)

"...Previously, HIV/AIDS “victims” were seen either as homosexual men, or women who worked in the sex industry. The former stereotype was even turned into a mainstream 1993 Hollywood movie Philadelphia that won a best actor Academy Award for Tom Hanks. The latter, on the other hand, was the subject of a 1993 Filipino film The Dolzura Cortez Story starring Vilma Santos. As a disease, AIDS was highly misunderstood two decades ago. Religious fanatics considered it “a punishment from God” for the sexual excesses of its victims. While a complete falsehood, there was some truth to the other mistaken belief about AIDS—that it would lead to certain death for whoever had the disease, which had no known cure. Fast forward to 2013 and Filipinos still generally remain in the dark about HIV/AIDS..." - Beting Laygo Dolor, Manila Times, 14 August 2013 (READ MORE)