Four generations of acclaimed actresses

Philippine cinema never runs out of exceptional, renowned, famed, and celebrated actresses.

Since the dawn of the production of local movies, Filipino female film artists have always been standouts from silent era maven Atang de la Rama to talking picture stars Carmen Rosales to Alicia Vergel to Charito Solis to Gloria Romero to Susan Roces to Nora Aunor to Sharon Cuneta to Judy Ann Santos to Angel Locsin ad nauseam.

Each generation produces acclaimed actresses particularly in the acting department which is the battleground of the most eligible and most gifted of their thespic talents.

That the best lasts—durability.

One of the gauges of longevity of actors is the tenacity and the versatility to tackle every role given them in any condition.

Of course, fan support comes when their idols perform characters in mise-en-scenes and capture and resonate with the soul of the quotidian and their images onscreen.

There is one film to be shown this February which features four generations of high caliber stars in their most challenging roles.

“Until She Remembers”

The title of the movie is “Until She Remembers” directed by internationally acclaimed Brillante Ma. Mendoza, Palme d’Or winner in the 2009 Cannes International Film Festival for the dark film breakthrough masterpiece, “Kinatay (The Butchered).”

“Until She Remembers” stars Charo Santos-Concio, Angel Aquino, Barbie Forteza and Boots Anson Roa-Rodrigo.

It has popular male support like Albert Martinez, Eric Quizon, Carlitos Siguion-Reyna, Rene Durian and Vince Rillon but the film is mainly a woman film.

In it, even Erlinda Villalobos plays a pivotal female character as the trusted and faithful house help of Charo as Concha (the Literature student of teacher Catherine de Leon being portrayed by Boots) and her granddaughter (Angel) being played by Barbie.

The fourth personage to complete the film project on Sapphic love is (Gloria), the daughter of Concha being essayed by Angel.

Even the upstarts who breathed lives on young Concha (Bianca Alexa Keirulf) and young Catherine (Angel Latorre) are functional cast to the narrative.

It is an amalgam of showbiz identities.

Charo, Angel, Barbie and Boots  

Charo, Angel, Barbie and Boots are multigenerational artists with diverse backgrounds, products of multiple eras and varied personal experiences.

Boots takes pride in her legacy to a Filipino cinema royalty being the daughter of the great actor Oscar Moreno.

In her career spanning seven decades, Anson Roa-Rodrigo has proven her acting mettle in a variety of roles.

Uncontroversial, though, Boots’ love story is as colorful as a rainbow when she got married again many years after the death of her husband, Pete Roa, this time to King Rodrigo.

Mike de Leon’s “Itim”

Charo’s career was launched in the 70s during the tumultuous social unrest in Philippine society.

She was one of the favored artists in the movies when independent cinema wasn’t in vogue yet after now National Artist for Film Lino Brocka introduced her to cinematographer-director Mike de Leon who launched her in the gothic supernatural opus “Itim.”

Santos-Concio has come full circle from an actress to a top audio-visual executive and back.

Meanwhile, Angel was packaged in the 90s as another Hilda Koronel when award-winning director Jeffrey Jeturian mentored her during her early days in films.

The youngest darling is millennial Barbie who started from a giggly, comic newbie on the tube to a serious thespian on TV and film.