Jaclyn Jose won Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival for her role in Brillante Mendoza’s gritty film Ma’ Rosa. Ms. Jose becomes the first Filipino to win the Best Actress prize.
“I’m at a loss for words! I am so surprised and moved. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all the Jury members. I thank the director Brillante Mendoza, whose instructions I simply followed. He’s a brilliant director, a genius. I am so happy you liked the film. I’d like to salute the Philippine people.” – Jaclyn Jose
Ma’ Rosa is the story of Rosa, a convenience store owner and matriarch of a poverty-stricken family living in a Philippine slum who was forced to sell drugs to make ends meet. The film centers around Rosa getting caught up in a shake down involving corrupt cops after being raided for narcotics. Rosa and her family decided to take extreme measures in a desperate attempt to get out of the situation. The film’s director, Brillante Mendoza, had a personal experience with the main character of the film in real life which inspired the making of Ma’ Rosa.
Jaclyn Jose is a veteran actress and a huge television star in the Philippines. Ma’ Rosa is a departure from her usual genre and demonstrated her versatility as an actress.
“The biggest challenge for me was not to act. Especially since I am coming from television where I play loud and campy roles” Ms. Jose told reporters.
Director Mendoza wanted the film to feel as realistic as possible and shot the film entirely on a shoulder camera. He banned the use of make-up and hair styling in the film to further achieve the realism that he envisioned. He is one of a handful of directors in the Philippines that shoot without a script which forced the actors to follow their instincts and trust their skills in the craft. He also required the cast to immerse and integrate themselves in the community to fully understand the daily struggles of life in the slums of Manila.
Jaclyn Jose’s stellar performance coupled with Brillante Mendoza’s gritty cinema verité style of storytelling created a powerful film that earned praises from the judges at Cannes.
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