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‘Sunday Beauty Queen’ an engaging peek into the lives of OFWs in Hong Kong
"Sunday Beauty Queen," the first indie documentary entered in the 2016 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), is a compelling film that will touch the heart of every Filipino.
Rated G by the MTRCB, "Sunday Beauty Queen" is directed by Baby Ruth Villarama-Gutierrez and produced by Voyage Studios and TBA (Tuko Film Productions, Buchi Boy Entertainment and Artikulo Uno Productions), the same team behind last year's surprise box office phenomenon "Heneral Luna."
It follows five Filipina OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) in Hong Kong who join beauty pageants for a cause.
From Monday to Saturday, these women work as domestic helpers. Then, on Sunday, they trade in their work clothes for colorful, bejewelled gowns and participate in weekly beauty pageants.
“We thought that these pageants were fleeting, like they were meant for the OFWs to escape from reality,” Villarama said in an interview on Tuesday.
“But after immersing ourselves in their stories, we realized that [pageants] are life for them. The beauty pageants gave them a sense of dignity. Society may label them as slaves, but on that one day, they become princesses and beauty queens. I told myself that this was a very special story.”
Amidst the towering buildings and bright lights of Hong Kong, these women—Hazel Perdido, Mylyn Jacobo, Cherry Bretania, Leo Selomenio and Rudelie Acosta—emerge as the Cinderellas of their own stories.
“We are not just domestic helpers. Even if people look down at what we do, [the film] is an opportunity for us to raise our voices,” Jacobo said. A native of General Santos City, she admitted that she had found it hard to work as an OFW, but through the documentary has become more confident in telling her story.
“The feeling of a camera following me took away my fatigue,” she said. “It was a great experience to feel like an artista. I can’t do that in the Philippines!”
At the pageants, Jacobo and the other women dance and answer questions ala Miss Universe, the pageants' gaiety an embodiment of Filipino strength despite adversity in a foreign country.
Juxtaposed with the cheerful vibe of the pageants are harsh and shocking realities. For instance, the OFWs received relatively high salaries, and the money they sent back home allowed their families to live comfortable lives. But at what cost?
In the film, one of the women watches her son’s graduation on her phone, the sound shaky as the signal fluctuated. In tears, the woman says she is working hard in Hong Kong so that her children can get an education.
In another scene, the winner of one of the Sunday beauty pageants is fired by her boss because she did not get home before her curfew. She seeks refuge at Bethune House, a home for migrant women in Hong Kong. Such realities are emphasized in Villarama's film.
Supported by the Department of Education, the National Youth Commission, and the Film Development Council of the Philippines, "Sunday Beauty Queen" was rated "A" by the Cinema Evaluation Board.
It was also cited by the MMFF Selection Committee as “precious, well-researched, well-crafted, insightful and engaging”, because it possessed power to move audiences.
“I hope ['Sunday Beauty Queen'] will inspire all my fellow OFWs,” Jacobo said. “I want them to have the courage to do what they want to do.”
Asked about her advice for aspiring filmmakers, Villarama said that you should follow your passion. She worked on "Sunday Beauty Queen" for four years while working on a masters degree in UK, and believes that the world needs more stories to empower people.
“Believe in the power of your story, and you will have a good story. That, alone, is enough to change the world,” she said. — BM, GMA News
Sunday Beauty Queen will be in cinemas from December 25, 2016 up to January 3, 2017.
