And just like that, a Filipino actress is coming home with a Cannes award.
Philippine soap star Jaclyn Jose won best actress at the Cannes film festival on May 22, Sunday for her performance in Brillante Mendoza’s Ma’ Rosa. The veteran actress played a matriarch in a film that depicts the realities in the Philippine slums.
“The biggest challenge for me was not to act. Especially since I am coming from television shows where I play loud and campy characters,” she told reporters.
According to the 52-year-old actress, she had “to tone down everything to zero” for a more realistic performance in the film.
Being in the business for 30 years, she has worked in numerous projects with award-winning directors in the industry. Receiving a best actress award from Cannes, however, is a first for her.
Here’s a glimpse of her performance. Her look in the film was a dramatic contrast to her role in her current TV show, The Millionaire’s Wife.
In Ma’ Rosa, Jose shared the screen with her daughter Andi Eigenman who also caught attention in the red carpet for being one of the best dressed celebrities according to Vanity Fair.
Jose appeared in Mendoza’s first movie “The Masseur” 11 years ago and also his drama “Serbis”, which competed in Cannes in 2008.
Here is a complete list of winners:
Best short film: Timecode
Caméra d’Or (best first feature): Divines (director: Houda Benyamina)
Honorary Palme d’Or: Jean-Pierre Léaud
Best actor: Shahab Hosseini, The Salesman
Jury prize: Andrea Arnold, American Honey
Best screenplay: Asghar Fahardi, The Salesman
Best actress: Jaclyn Jose, Ma Rosa
Best director: Graduation (Cristian Mungui) and Personal Shopper (Olivier Assayes)
Grand Prix: Xavier Dolan, It’s Only the End of the World
Palme d’Or: I, Daniel Blake
-with reports from AFP.
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