BONA
Source: Lino Brocka - The International Director, Agustin L. Sotto
"Jaguar's" success was too good to ignore. There was talk of producing another film for the Cannes festival. However, Lino had a falling-out with Jackie Atienza and had to look for other financiers.
At that time, he was having an "affair" with Nora Aunor, then the nation's top star whom he used to criticize for stealing from his film company --- and eventually marrying --- his protégé, Christopher de Leon. Because of his financial problems, he was forced into directing the superstar in two commercial films, "Ina Ka ng Anak Mo" and "Nakaw na Pag-ibig". He was amazed with her brilliance as an actress and, if there was one thing that obsessed Lino, it was acting ability. He forgot about his gripes and embraced Nora as his Galatea. The two decide to make a film that would be Lino's next Cannes entry.
Because of the publicity generated by the shooting of "Apocalypse Now" and partially by Lino's films, the Philippines was fast becoming a popular destination for many international filmmakers. Vilgot Sjoman, the director of "I Am Curious (Yellow), the scandal films of the sixties, decided to shoot "I Am Blushing" with Bibi Andersson. Lino was invited to meet the Swedish actress in the house of Hortensia Starke in White Plains. There, he witnessed an incident that was to become the inspiration for "Bona". A movie fan had related to Bibi Andersson so many details of her life and films that made her absolutely flabbergasted. "I didn't go halfway around the world to know that my life was being closely followed. Why, even the tiff that I had forgotten, he knew," she later confided to Lino.
The incident rankled in Lino's mind for weeks. He just had to make a film about it. He had earlier directed a teleplay written by Cenen Ramos with the same theme. He decided to use that as basis for "Bona". Although the first days of shooting ran smoothly, the production encountered numerous problems. Nora Aunor started to come late and sometimes, did not appear at all. Also, the cast and crew were not being paid on time. Lino decided to borrow money so that he could finish the film. In order to wrap up the shooting, he skipped some sequences.
The film was entered in the Metro Manila Film Festival. Perhaps because of the attendant publicity, it was a big let-down to some people. It was promptly savaged by Lino's detractors who waited for the opportunity to bring him down. Nora Aunor did not win the much- coveted award for best actress. This created some friction between the two.
Bringing the film to Cannes was another problem. Lino was deep in debt due to the bankruptcy of CineManila, the film company he set up with his friends, and could not afford the expenses of a Cannes exposure. Happily, Jorg Richter, formerly Klaus Hellwig's assistant in Janus Films, decided to set up his own film distribution outlet and chose "Bona" as his first film. He advanced the money for a clean print and other expenses that Lino would incur in his trip.
But this was simply the start of the nightmare. The negative cutting was, to say the least, a disaster. Someone at the local lab had only used masking tape to splice the ends together. In its state, it could easily be rejected by prospective buyers, especially by European television which demands high quality prints. It had to be reedited in Paris --- which meant more expenses.
Also it arrived late in Cannes. It barely missed the competition deadline. There was one slot left with three qualified films vying for it. The Cannes committee decided to give it to "Montenegro", the film of comebacking Yugoslavian director, Dusan Makaveyev, who had not made one in ten years. The other film scratched from the competition was Lester James Peries' "Badeggamma" from Sri Lanka.
So Lino was back at the Directors' Fortnight. The film was shown at Star theater, a medium-sized moviehouse at the back of the Grand Palais. In his speech before his audience, Lino said he was happy to be back at the Fortnight; he preferred a screening where there weren't many frills.
Nora Aunor also traveled to Cannes with her confidante Baby K. Jimenez and Bibsy Carballo. Although Nora and Lino were cordial to each other, they were not as close as before. Nora and her entourage stayed in the luxurious Gray D'Albion. Lino's group, as usual was billeted in a rented apartment at 71 Rue Clemenceau, though not as far as before.
On the afternoon of the screening, Nora Aunor was introduced to the Cannes public. She was dressed in a terno. This time, there was a smattering of Filipinos in the audience. Her adoring fans presented her with flowers.
This time, Lino's schedule was not as hectic. He made the acquaintance of a Filipino couple who was taking care of Roger Moore's villa. With their help, Lino and company managed to make a tour of the French Riviera. Highlight was a stopover at Saint-Tropez where the group ogled at sun-bathing nudists.
