More than eight decades ago, the then President Manuel L. Quezon opened the Philippine shores to about 1,200 Jewish refugees who are escaping from the wrath of the Nazis—a part of the Philippine history that is unknown to many but is made realized by the film “Quezon’s Game”.
“Quezon’s Game”, which was produced by ABS-CBN Films Star Cinema in association with iWant and Kinetek, is a film that tells the story of how Philippine President Manuel Quezon, future U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower, and several other notable figures set out to rescue Jewish refugees from the ghettos of Germany and Austria. What seems within their power at first, turns out to be fraught with astronomical obstacles. On top of this, Quezon must battle a relapse of tuberculosis. In his final days, Quezon asks the question "Could I have done more?" before recollecting one of the least known, but most uplifting stories in Philippine history.
The storyline of the film has won the nod of the critics, which is not often the case with historic films. For one, Esquire Philippines described the film as “very compelling and deeply moving film largely because of the genius of its storytelling.”
While The Philippine Tatler observed that “the storytelling of the film was an incredible merging of historical facts and creative interpretation for dramatic purposes yet it didn't appear inaccurate or merely a hodgepodge of various elements of the certain period in history.”
In addition to the positive reviews, “Quezon’s Game” also boasts the different recognitions it garnered from various international award-giving bodies:
2019 IndieFEST Film Awards: “Awards of Excellence” for Lead Actor, Direction, Asian Film, Cinematography, and Original Score
2019 WorldFest-Houston International Film + Video Festival: “Gold Remi Awards” for Best Foreign Feature, Best Director, Best Producer, and Best Art Direction
2019 Cinema World Fest Annual Gala: “Best in Show Grand Champion”
The film also received an “Excellence Special Mention” at the 2019 Accolade Global Film Competition; was a finalist at Israel’s 2019 Near Nazareth Festival; and an official selection at the 2019 Maryland International Film Festival and 2019 Ramsgate International Film + TV Festival.
“Quezon’s Game” is directed by Matthew Rosen, written by Janice Y. Perez and Dean Rosen which was based on the original story of Matthew Rosen and Lorena H. Rosen, under the Supervising Producer Marizel S. Martinez and Creative Producers Enrico C. Santos and John Paul E. Abellera. The film’s Executive Producers were Carlo L. Katigbak, Olivia M. Lamasan, Linggit Tan-Marasigan, and Lorena H. Rosen.
Catch “Quezon’s Game” starting January 31 in the United Kingdom and Oslo, Norway. For the cinema list, visit emea.kapamilya.com.
Meantime, added emotion in the storytelling of this untold story is its theme song “Quezon’s Theme” with words and music by James George Hargreaves and orchestration by Chris Cameron.
In the film, two versions of the song will be heard: one is performed by Shulem Lemmer who is the first Hasidic singer signed under a major label which is Universal Music, while the other is by the iconic Filipina singer-actress Rachel Alejandro who is also part of the film as Aurora Quezon. Both renditions were backed by the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra.
Indulge and get goosebumps from the LIVE orchestra performance of Shulem Lemmer and Rachel Alejandro at the “Quezon’s Game Film in Concert & Premiere” happening on January 28, 2020, 7:00 p.m. at the Troxy, London. The film’s director Matthew Rosen and lead star Raymond Bagatsing will also be there.
Tickets are sold at the following prices including the handling fee: £88 for VIP with meet and greet; £55 for Silver; and £33 for Bronze. Purchase tickets online via www.troxy.co.uk, or contact Hanna Jatulan at marygrace_jatulan@abs-cbn.com.
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