Filipino viewers of all generations can now enjoy and relive the cinematic experience of the classic Peque Gallaga masterpiece, “Oro Plata Mata,” as Star Home Videos finally releases its digitally restored and re-mastered full HD version on DVD in all major video outlets nationwide.
“Oro Plata Mata” is the second film restored by ABS-CBN’s Film Archives in partnership with the Central Digital Laboratory (CDL) following the successful restoration of the Ishmael Bernal classic film “Himala,” topbilled by veteran actress Nora Aunor and written by multi-awarded screenwriter Ricky Lee.
The special DVD offers a digitally remastered copy of “Oro Plata Mata” from the full HD restored version with English and Tagalog subtitles alongside other exclusive features such as director’s commentary by director Peque Gallaga, actor’s commentary from several of the movie’s original cast, the original sequence treatment submitted to the Experimental Cinema of the Philippines made by Gallaga, the 1982 original trailer with remastered footage, restoration vignettes, and the original story boards used for the movie’s climactic fight scenes.
Set in the province of Negros during World War II, “Oro Plata Mata” tells the story of how two haciendero families cope with the changes brought about by the war. The title refers to the old superstition that staircases in a house should not end in a multiple of three, in keeping with a pattern of oro (gold), plata (silver) and mata (bad luck).
The movie starred Cherie Gil, Sandy Andolong, Ronnie Lazaro, Joel Torre, Liza Lorena, Manny Ojeda, Mitch Valdes, Lorli Villanueva, Abbo dela Cruz and Mary Walter. The movie was also fondly remembered for numerous cameos which included Manny Castaneda, Gigi Duenas, Fe de los Reyes and Kuh Ledesma.
ABS-CBN pioneered the restoration of classic Filipino films and it is the first in Asia to do a multiplatform campaign to promote and reintroduce a digitally re-mastered film to the current generation of audiences. For instance, the digitially-restored film “Himala” was aired on Philippine television via free-to-air channel ABS-CBN and cable channel Cinema One, released on the big screen with a red carpet cinema premiere, released internationally on pay-per-view via Global TV, and distributed commercially on DVD.
This 360° restoration campaign was such a breakthrough that ABS-CBN Film Archives head Leo Katigbak was invited recently to Thailand to present it before members of the Southeast Asia-Pacific Audio Visual Archives Association (SEAPAVAA), an association of organizations and individuals involved in or interested in the development of audiovisual archiving, and served as a model for member archivists to replicate.
“Many restoration efforts stop once the work on the film is completed but that is really only half the process. The more important part is how do you get that new version of the film exposed to a brand new audience that may be experiencing what we did all those many years ago for the very first time,” explained Katigbak.
“The restoration campaign of ABS-CBN reflected this, hopefully ensuring that a new generation will appreciate the movies again, and repeatedly for generations to come. Even celebrities like Piolo Pascual, Boy Abunda, Angel Aquino and Maja Salvador believed in the project and gave their full support in bringing our campaign to a mainstream audience,” he added.
In celebration of the 60th year of Philippine television, ABS-CBN Film Archives continues its commitment to collect, preserve, store, and provide access to titles that defined the Philippines’ cinematic legacy.
“We want the audience to experience important titles in Philippine cinema history as if they were brand new and as if they were shot today,” said Katigbak.
One of these titles is the classic romantic musical drama “Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon” topbilled by the late national artist Eddie Romero. Katigbak recently bagged the rights from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts to restore the FAMAS and Gawad Urian award-winning film.
“The plan is to get to the classics before they are too badly damaged to be saved and restored. ‘Ganito Kami Noon’ was always on our short list and fortunately, the film elements we needed to do the restoration were still intact and available and the negotiations worked out for us to secure all the needed rights to do the kind of multi-media, multi-platform campaign that we employed for ‘Himala’ and ‘Oro’,” shared Katigbak.
ABS-CBN Film Archives have a lineup of titles to be restored in the coming months and will make individual announcement once the restoration process begins.
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“Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon”ni Eddie Romero, sunod na sasabak sa restoration
MAS MALINAW NA KOPYA NG “ORO PLATA MATA,” MABIBILI NA SA DVD
Mabibili na sa mga suking video outlets nationwide ang DVD ng mas malinaw at mas pinaganda pang kopya ng isa sa pinakamahalagang obra sa larangan ng pelikula sa bansa, ang “Oro Plata Mata.”
Kakaiba at talaga namang moderno ang panonood na inyong mararanasan dahil mas mataas na ang kalidad ng nasabing pelikula na ngayo’y in full HD na matapos itong matagumpay na nai-restore ng ABS-CBN Film Archives sa pakikipagtulungan sa Central Digital Laboratory.
Sa pamamagitan ng pag-restore o proseso ng “restoration,” napanunumbalik sa dating kalidad ang mga lumang pelikula na animo’y ginawa lang sa kasalukuyang panahon. Unang ni-restore ng ABS-CBN ang pelikulang “Himala” sa direksyon ni Ishmael Bernal, sa panulat ni Ricky Lee, at pinagbidahan ng superstar na si Nora Aunor. Sadyang naging matagumpay ito kung kaya’t agad din na ini-restore ang “Oro Plata Mata,” na itinuturing na isa sa pinakamagandang pelikula na ginawa noong 80s.
ABS-CBN ang nagsimula at nanguna sa pagre-restore ng mga classic Filipino film sa bansa at kauna-unahan naman sa Asya na gumawa ng malawakang kampanya para muling ipakilala ang isang pelikulang nilikha 30 taon na ang nakakalipas sa kasalukuyan at mas batang henerasyon. Tulad na lang ng “Himala” na hindi lang napanood ng mga Pilipino sa sinehan, kung hindi napanood din sa telebisyon, cable, at sa ibang bansa via pay-per-view.
“Layunin namin na maiparanas sa kasalukuyang mga manonood ang ilan sa pinakamahahalagang titulo sa kasaysayan ng pelikula sa bansa. Hindi tumitigil ang aming serbisyo sa pag-restore lamang ng lumang films kung hindi pati na rin sa kung paano namin mahihikayat ang panibagong audience na panoorin at tangkiliking muli ito,” sabi ni ABS-CBN Film Archives head Leo Katigbak.
Kaugnay ng pagdiriwang ng ika-60 ng telebisyon sa bansa, patuloy ang ABS-CBN Film Archives sa kanilang sinumulang adhikain kaya naman patuloy pa rin ang pagre-restore nila ng mga natatanging mga titulo.
Isa sa kanilang pinagugugulan ng oras sa ngayon ang restoration ng classic romantic musical drama na “Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon” sa pangunguna ng yumaong national artist na si Eddie Romero. Nakuha kamakailan ni Katigbak ang rights mula sa National Commission for Culture and the Arts para i-restore ang FAMAS at Gawad Urian award-winning film.
“Kinakailangan naming masalba ang mga classic na pelikula bago pa man ito tuluyang masira,” dagdag pa ni Katigbak.
Marami pang irere-restore na pelikula ang ABS-CBN Film Archives sa darating na mga buwan at isa isa nitong papangalan kung ano ano ang mga titulong ito sa oras na magsimula na ang proseso ng restoration.
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