"Himala" is best Asian film in history - CNN
CNN viewers voted the 1982 Filipino film “Himala” (Miracle) as the Best Asia-Pacific Film of All Time, announced the Asia Pacific Screen Awards in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia on November 11.
I’m trying to remember what this film was all about, and why it generated such a buzz. “Himala” was a 1982 film by Ishmael Bernal and starred Nora Aunor as a faith healer who gave hope to everyone in her town when people started getting healed. At the end of the movie, she admitted that there was no such miracle.
The Inquirer calls this win “a spellbinding victory for Philippine cinema” but I have my doubts. It’s not the movie, but the process of online voting that I’m skeptical about. It’s just too bias, I think. You know us, Filipinos have been winning American Idol, and the Ms. Photogenic award at the Miss Universe by the sheer number of Filipinos who vote online. Maybe “Himala” IS the best movie in all of Asia but I want it judged by film critics and not by number of votes.
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Science Garden, PHILIPPINES
November 15th, 2008 at 9:49 am
Don’t you get it. Before it was voted by on-line voter, the film was chosen by critics, movie insiders from thousand of films made in Asia Pacific. From the original no. of 18, it was trim down to ten (10). It means that even before this voting system, the film was considered as one of the best in Asia Pacific.
November 18th, 2008 at 5:04 am
Thanks for the reply, Boy Saudi. I’m not saying Himala is not the best. I’m skeptic of the process. Why is there a need to have a voting system if the critics and experts already know it belongs to Asia’s top Ten Movies of all Time? It’s the online voting I don’t get. Did everyone who voted online see all 10 movies, so that each one had a fair chance of being voted #1?
November 20th, 2008 at 1:51 am
Hindi pa ba sapat sa atin na maging maligaya sa pagkapili ng Himala sa 10 Best Asian Films ng CNN? Ang pagkakapanalo ng Himala sa Viewer’s Choice ay isa ng bonus kung iisipin.
December 3rd, 2008 at 3:51 pm
CNN cannot please everyone. If they had voted a single film as the very best among the ten, for sure they will receive some protest. That’s why they gave us viewers the choice to vote the film that we considered the greatest among the top ten. If China, India and Japan were seriously rallying to support their films, our votes are nothing to compare to their population and resources. But the majority have spoken and Himala took the number spot as the greatest among the ten.
But this is just a plus for Himala. With or without the Viewers choice award, we should rejoice that a prestigious organization like CNN shortlisted it as one of the ten best asian films of all time!
December 3rd, 2008 at 10:35 pm
Yes! correct Carmelo, kaya sa tingin ko kaya rin nagpa-online voting ang CNN among the 10 Best Film ay para tayong mga viewer’s na ang humusga. Malaks lang talaga ang suporta sa Himala, which dapat dahil bukod kay Nora Aunor ang isa pang dahilan ay Pilipino tayo. Suportahan ang sariling atin. Kaya dapat wag na natin masyadong isipin na dahil sa voting kaya nanalo, ang mahalaga, pasok na ang Himala sa kanilang Top 10 which is great, sana kung inilaban ito sa Oscar’s noon ay baka nanalo din ito. Pero okay lang dahil umaani pa rin ang Himala sa kabila ng lahat.
December 4th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Tama ka dyan Marites. Ang feeling ko kasi para na rin tayong nanalo ng Best Foreign Film sa Oscars! With all the free publicities that Nora and Himala have been receiving these past few weeks, Nora’s position as the highest caliber actress will secure for her the national artist title sooner or later! that will be the day !!!!
December 25th, 2008 at 4:25 am
I agree with Grace. I’m not saying Himala didn’t deserve this honor, I just wish that if it was going to win this it should’ve been through a better process. The most important question, which many keep trying to evade with non-arguments that evoke nationalism or Noranian loyalty, still remains: have all voters seen ALL other finalists in the Top 10? It’s like a teacher who only checks the test paper of her favorite student.
What bothers me with Filipinos is their inability to receive opinions that burst their bubble. Grace’s post is not in any way an attack against Himala, or its creators and actors, she simply identified a flaw in the process of choosing THE top candidate for such a title. Just because she posted this doesn’t mean she’s not ecstatic about the victory. Yet everyone who responds here seem to think that any effort that isn’t pro-Himala is anti-Himala, and even hint at anti-pinoy.
When someone expresses and opinion, lifts a finger to make it public, or spends more than a sentence to present it, no matter how valid that opinion is, or unbiassed, or neutral, or inconsequential, Pinoys in general will immediately speculate on the motivation. What moves a person to draw the public’s attention to something that diminishes our happiness?
Responses to Grace’s post only strengthens her point. Nothing should be left up to Filipinos online.
December 28th, 2008 at 2:49 am
There is nothing that you can do now but to accept the fact that Himala won the viewers’ choice award.
CNN had given us the opportunity to participate and our participation meant something to them — not only they respect our opinions and choices but in general there is a big audience out there whom they can share their beliefs of the choices they made as to the best movies worthy of their time and resources.
Can we not be happy that Himala was shortlisted to 10 best asian films of all time with or with out the viewers’ choice?
January 7th, 2009 at 10:45 pm
Non-arguments include:
1. Himala won, accept it, shut up.
2. Himala is Filipino, it should win, be happy, shut up.
3. Voting online is a fool-proof and perfect process, shut up.
4. It made it to the top 10, shut up.
5. Himala is the best, full stop, shut up.
January 7th, 2009 at 10:47 pm
oh, and another one:
6. Noranian ako! Shut up.