Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay
SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION FROM LILA CUNTAPAY
This film by Antoinette Jadaone is about a veteran extra , Lilia Cuntapay who was starred extra in Filipino Horror Films. This film showed the life of Lilia Cuntapay who worked very hard for her roles as an extra. Many people recognized her and seen her passion in acting. Lilia Cuntapay is not like any other actor. She’s smart, witty and friendly. I loved how she was so driven to make a speech for the award that she was nominated for, even if she did not win. It just means that Lilia work really hard for everything she wanted to have.
Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay is another proof that many recognize her. And with Lilia Cuntapay’s passing, the film had some benefit screenings at Cinema 76 last August 25 – 28, 2016.
For me, the best thing in Lilia Cuntapay's story is what happened after this film. She won her first acting award for this mockumentary, received new acting projects, and was introduced to a younger generation through a popular TV series ('Forevermore'). While she spent the final days of her life seeking medical and financial assistance, I'd like to believe that she died remaining committed to an industry that finally returned her love and recognized her legacy.
Besides than that, her poverty and lack of recognitions were questionable. At the start of the film, Direk Antoinette Jadaone asked random strangers and celebrities who worked with Lilia. Some of them don’t know Lilia, some of them weren’t sure who Lilia was, so on and so forth.
The used of camera angles were purposely awkward that satirizes the whole film, and for it to be funnier. The cinematography was purposely for the feel of the movie, it showed the house of Lilia which was at the squatter’s area which was very realistically implied, especially to us Filipinos.
Lilia Cuntapay proved that she could also be a lead actress, and she was more than an extra in a horror movie film. It broke my heart to see her still at that position in her life where she was financially unstable, but she was working very hard to get there someday. It just showed how hard it is to be in the acting industry. Most of the time they only pay you half as much as the other actors, and most of the time don’t even get recognition.
The last part was a very heartbreaking, realistic scene where she did not win the AFTAP award, and I could feel her embarrassment. Lilia Cuntapay worked so hard for her speech to be the best speech she could possibly ever say in an award show and she did not win. It was a brilliant film, because I did not have many expectations in this film. This film surprised me, made me laugh and cry. If I could rewatch this, I definitely would. This film also showed that not all people who work hard in the industry get paid, and treated equally. This is heartbreaking.
The emotions of the actress and her ‘neighbors’ were real, I could feel as if I was just sitting with them everytime. It’s a good film because, it inspired me that even a woman who was hired so many times by the star business worked very hard and proved that she was different from all the other extras. The film was realistic, and implicit. It talked about a literal meaning that Lilia Cuntapay was a hard-working supporting actress. Lilia Cuntapay was one hell of an icon in the film industry.