CANNES REMEMBERS JACLYN JOSE

THE CANNES International Film Festival paid homage to its 2016 Best Actress Jaclyn Jose, the first Filipino and Southeast Asian to achieve such honor, for her performance in Ma’ Rosa.”

- NATHALIE M. TOMADA

Sharing a throwback Agence France Presse photo of Jaclyn holding her Chopard trophy, Cannes’ social media posted yesterday: “Upon learning of the passing of Filipino actress Jaclyn Jose, the Cannes Festival remembers her beaming with emotion as she received the 2016 Acting Award for ‘Ma’ Rosa’ by Brillante Mendoza.”

“Like many of her other roles, she illuminated this very beautiful portrait of a woman, embodied her with grace and humanity,” the post further said in French, but with English translation.

Indeed, that unprecedented win of Jaclyn, who died on March 2 at the age of 60 due to a heart attack, became one of Philippine cinema’s brightest spots and proudest moments. Beating out then-frontrunners like Ruth Negga, Isabelle Huppert, Marion Cotillard and Kristen Stewart, it was made even more iconic by her stunned reaction as she went up the stage, pulling along Brillante and daughter Andi Eigenmann, to receive her award.

“I am so surprised,” a breathless and visibly shocked Jaclyn would tell the audience. “I would like to share this recognition to all the Filipinos who are here now, to my daughter, to Brillante, to my countrymen, to the Philippines.”

The video clip of Jaclyn’s award winning moment has since resurfaced following her untimely passing but that scene is forever immortalized in the eyes of her peers and colleagues.

Her “Ma’ Rosa” co-star Ruby Ruiz fondly recalled to The STAR: “As soon as she won, she asked me, ‘Ruby, is this award truly prestigious?’ I answered, ‘Jaclyn, yes, it’s the ultimate! Then I hugged her.”

Ruby also felt privileged that she was able to walk the Cannes red carpet with Jaclyn.