Sunday, July 22, 2012

Vilma Santos and Kim Chui The Healing

Anew kind of Tagalaog film is headed to the Micronesia Mall Stadium Theatres as the upernatural-thriller "The Healing" opens Aug. 3.

Starring Philippine movie icon Vilma Santos and ABS-CBN breakout star Kim Chui, the story flips the script on the time-honored Filipino tradition of people visiting babaylans -- shamanic spiritual leaders -- to heal their illnesses.

In this instance, however, the babaylans are in fact mambabarangs -- or sorcerers and witches, says Star Media's Ted Neri.

"What happens is news about the miraculous works of a faith healer spread like wildfire attracting the attention of people suffering from various illness coming from all walks of life," Neri says.

"However such practice involves the help of supernatural beings which would soon haunt those that were healed. It's a totally a new brand of suspense-horror that will surely make a mark in the Philippine horror cinema."

Directed by Chito S. Roño, the movie also is a first for Santos -- it's the first time in her 50 year career she's starring in a horror movie. And to help her mark the occasion Star Cinema has assembled a power-packed cast featuring Chiu, Mark Gil, Martin del Rosario, Allan Paule, Cris Villanueva, Daria Ramirez, Ces Quesada, Ynez Veneracion, Simon Ibarra, Abi Bautista, Joel Torre, Chinggoy Alonso, Mon Confiado, Carmi Martin and Pokwang.

"It's a perfect project after 'In My Life,' which was three years ago," Santos, the Batangas governor, told Star Media.

"And since I don't do movies that frequent, I might as well give the public something different. This is my first time to do a suspense-horror and I'm so proud of it."

Santos also shared that she is elated by the fact that she now is working with some of the entertainment industry's best, including director Roño.

"I've been asking for so long for something this and I'm so glad that it's finally happening," she said.

Santos says what attracted her to the script was taking Filipino traditions and looking at them from another light.

"Stories about the Filipino tradition of going to faith healers for guidance and treatment of ailments have not yet been tackled in-depth in movies," she told Star Media.

"And in our film, the viewers will not just be horrified, they'll somehow be challenged to think as to how faith healing has already been part of the our culture."

"The Healing" plays at the Micronesia Mall Theatres through Aug. 16.

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