The Last Farewell film at the iChill Manila International Film Fest Jan 2018

The Last Farewell film at the iChill Manila International Film Fest Jan 2018

The Last Farewell

Set in the 1970s, the Martial Law era in the Philippines, a young couple must choose between the love that they have for each other or the country they have pledged their lives to.

Director Biography

Jomz Ramirez is a Filipino screenwriter and director, born and raised in the Philippines. She took up a degree in Development Communication at the University of the Philippines. She gained a certificate in Film Production in 2015 from Mowelfund Film Institute and a diploma in Film Production in 2016 from the International Academy of Film in Television-Cebu (popularly known as Bigfoot entertainment). After film school, she worked as a Digital Content producer for ABS-CBN Global, a major TV network in the Philippines, not long after she became an apprentice and a line producer for the well-known Filipino director, Pepe Diokno (Lion of the Future – “Luigi DE Laurentiis” Awardee for Best Debut Film, as well as the Orizzonti Prize for new trends in cinema at the Venice Film Festival 2009). Since her graduation from Mowelfund, Jomz has made quite a number short films, 4 of which has been selected to screen in various film festivals in the Philippines and abroad. Her short film “Pahimakas” (The Last Farewell) was hailed as the Outstanding Foreign Short Film at the Sacramento International Film Festival 2017. She recently worked as a production assistant for Jerrold Tarog’s “Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral” which is expected to have its premier in 2018. Currently, Jomz is a writer-director for Cut-Print Productions, the producers behind the Cannes participating Filipino short film, “Nakaw”.

Director Statement

“Batas Militar” or the Martial Law Era was one of the darkest times in our nation’s history, many lives were at risk and many of these lives were taken away unjustifiably. History books taught us some facts about this era, Universities taught us more, introduced us to people who had suffered during these dark times. Despite everything that was being told to us, still, half of my generation doesn’t have any idea of the truths about Batas Militar and how it has robbed the generation before us of the freedom that we are enjoying today. Freedom, that brave men and women of this nation brought back during the revolution of 1986, ousting a dictator with a bloodless revolution, an act which marked our country’s place in the map of the world, a revolution which has inspired many nations and made our people admirable across countries. Our generation was not well educated enough with the facts and figures and horrible stories brought about by the realities of Batas Militar, I want this film to be a subtle reminder that we, as the present generation occupying this society, must help ourselves to be well-informed about the truth during those dark times. Let us not be apathetic of everything that happened in the past, let us not forget this part of our nation’s history, let us learn from nation’s past mistakes, and let us cherish and protect the liberty that our forefathers had fought for just so our generation can have and enjoy it.

This film is not just about a love story between two young individuals, this is also a story of the love of the Filipino youth for their country, the struggles of thousands to fight for liberty, not for themselves but for the future generation. I made this film to remind the youth of today that once upon a time in our nation’s history, the Filipino youth had exemplified their love for country by fighting for freedom, fighting for their principles, fighting for their right to live. I want this film to remind my generation of that bravery, the same bravery that I want my generation to have. Let this film remind all of us that the Filipino youth is among the bravest, the strongest and most principled individuals of this society.

I dedicate this film to the hundreds, if not thousands of brave individuals who risked their lives in order to save mine and my fellow Filipino youth of the present generation. This film is my simple way of extending my deepest gratitude for the free country that we inherited from them.

 

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