Himala

Himala ('Miracle') is a 1982 Filipino film directed by Ishmael Bernal and produced by the Experimental Cinema of the Philippines. It stars Nora Aunor as a young woman living in the province who claims to have seen a Marian apparition. The film story and script written by Ricky Lee was inspired by a series of alleged Marian apparitions appearing before schoolgirls, which took place from 1966 to 1972 on Cabra Island in Lubang, Occidental Mindoro. The film premiered at the 1982 Metro Manila Film Festival, where it won Best Film and Best Actress for Aunor, among other awards. It then became the first Filipino film to be included in the Competition section of the Berlin International Film Festival. In 2012, on its 30th anniversary, Himala became the first film to be restored as part of the ABS-CBN Film Restoration Project, with a premiere at the 69th Venice International Film Festival as part of the Venice Classics section. Although its initial release got rave reviews, Himala is now widely considered one of the greatest Filipino films of all time. Nora Aunor garnered worldwide popularity and is best known for her performance in the film as the purported seer and healer Elsa. Her portrayal is considered by most Filipino critics as one of the best of her career. On November 11, 2008, Himala won the Viewer's Choice Award for the Best Film of All Time from the Asia-Pacific Region in the 2008 CNN Asia Pacific Screen Awards beating nine other films voted by thousands of film fans around the world. The ten finalists were chosen by critics, industry insiders and actors. Plot The small town of Cupang, located in an arid landscape, is suffering from a drought which the townsfolk believe was a curse placed upon them for driving away a leper some years before. During a solar eclipse, a girl named Elsa reports seeing an apparition of the Virgin Mary near a tree atop the barren hill where her adoptive mother Salíng found her as a baby. Elsa soon after engages in faith healing the residents. She is assisted by her friends Chayong, Sepa, and Baldo who eventually became part of her "Seven Apostles", which later includes the entrepreneur Mrs. Alba. Word spreads, drawing pilgrims and the curious to Cupang and Elsa's house, which is marked with a large banner proclaiming "Elsa Loves You". At the same time, enterprising residents of Cupang begin selling religious articles, offering accommodation–all capitalizing on the sudden influx of local and foreign patients and tourists.