All Screenings: Pre-recorded introduction from writer/director Martika Ramirez Escobar
Leonor Reyes was once a groundbreaking figure in the Filipino film industry during its ragtag action cinema glory days, but now she struggles with old age, mounting bills, and the untimely death of her son. While revisiting an unfinished script about a fearless protagonist trying to avenge his brother’s murder, Leonor is struck on the head by a falling television set and knocked into a coma. As she lays unconscious in the hospital, fantasy and reality begin to blur when Leonor finds herself awake inside her script, becoming the hero of her own story. An innovative blend of pulpy action homages, playful comedy and touching family drama, LEONOR WILL NEVER DIE is a wonderfully imaginative tribute to the art of filmmaking.
“From its opening homage to cheesy B-action flicks of the 1980s, it’s clear you’re in for a good time…. Packed with self-reflexive humor and a deep reverence for the art of filmmaking, LEONOR WILL NEVER DIE establishes writer/director Martika Ramirez Escobar as an artist with a singular voice and bright future in halls of weird cinema.” —Marya E. Gates. RogerEbert.com “As long as movies like these can continue to be made, Leonor and many other creatives like her will never really die.” —Erin Brady, Slash Film “LEONOR WILL NEVER DIE, as the title implies, is ultimately a beautiful, life-affirming celebration of the power of film and art to heal. Yes, even ‘80s action films.” —Charles Barfield, The Playlist
