Known as the multi-awarded motion picture at the 2019 Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino Awards, “Lola Igna” tells a story of an elderly woman’s life awaiting death to be reunited with her husband, however, life takes a turns when she discovers she might have a World Record for her age.
Written and directed by Dir. Eduardo Roy, Jr. (Last Fool Show, Pamilya Ordinaryo, Bahay Bata) the film garnered “Best Picture,” “Best Screenplay,” and “Best Musical Score” awards at the 2019 Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipinong Awards.
Emulating Lola Igna is veteran actress Ms. Angelica Caballero Ferro. Winning the “Best Actress” award for her character, Ferro brings a comedic performance as a foul-mouth and stubborn grandmother from a barrio in Alhaya, San Fernando. Accompanied performances in the drama-comedy film include Yves Flores as Tim—Lola Igna’s great grandson, Maria Isabel Lopez as Tita Nida—Lola Igna’s eldest granddaughter, and Meryll Soriano as Ana who plays Tim’s mother and Lola Igna’s youngest granddaughter.
Produced by ERJ Found Films and EMBA Productions, the Filipino feature film was based off of Roy’s own reflections on his relationship with his maternal great grandmother.
A fetch to death
Living in a secluded hut in the middle of rice fields of Barrio Alhaya located in Pampanga, Ignacia “Lola Igna” Vida Rivera is excited to reunite with the spirit of her deceased husband as she longs in the meeting of her nearing death. However, awaiting the day of her expiration, she soon meets Tim. As a long lost great grandchild, Tim discovers his great grandmother on national television and finds himself on a trip to the province in intersecting paths with his “Lola-Lola” (mother of grandmother) for the very first time.
Throughout his stay with the town’s living legend, he takes on the responsibility of making her coffin for her much awaited death. Sparking arguments and misconceptions, Tim pursued to grant his great grandmother’s wishes of a customized casket as a token of silence and surrender for the arguments raised between them.
Soon after, Lola Igna becomes angry at the heavens for neglecting her plea to end life at once. Passing by countless funerals and vigils, she starts to wonder that the reason behind her not-nearing-death is because she had helped assist the birthins of those who walked across Barrio Alhaya.
Treated as a celebrity by the people of her town, she wanted nothing more than to leave a life she has grown disenchanted from. Despite her regard as the “oldest living lady” in the world, Lola Igna’s fame did not hinder her from wanting only death and peace to come sooner.
Remembering our own grandparents
As “Lola Igna” has a few lessons and morals up its cinematic sleeve, one could learn after watching that the love of a grandparent is incomparable to that of another kind. Aged sentiments portray as unconditional in this motion-picture as we see Lola Igna never shy off of a piece of her labor of love always waiting to be distributed to her townspeople.
A film dedicated to seeing reflections of eldery life, a noticeable attribute of the film is the constant visitations the 118-year old grandmother would often get by her friends and fans. Likewise, it is an endearing experience if we do the same for our own elderly relatives.
Despite her cliché facade of stubbornness and spites of crude language, one can see a little bit of Lola Igna in their very own grandparents.
Nature’s treasure are our elderly
If there’s one thing commemorable lesson from this film, it is knowingly remembering the love and tenderness our very own grandparents offer us. As the aged grow old, they grow wise; and when they grow wise, they give more of the love they could ever accumulate in their lifetime. Like a gift that grows old, lolos and lolas too are our very own blessings on this Earth.
Released last June 18 on Netflix, catch the butterflies of unconditional love, soul-stirring affection, and comical humor brought by “Lola Igna.”
Rating: 4/5
Cover Photo by Joshua Paul Gaces
