Dolphy’s unwritten movie

MANILA, Philippines – It was a dream project.

Multi-awarded writer Ricky Lee and Comedy King Dolphy had talked about making a film together.

But death stopped their story from being written. Dolphy died on July 10 due to a lingering respiratory illness.

Lee shared with Rappler how Dolphy helped him realize that the film industry is not as scary as it seems to be. He said it is an experience as worthwhile as making people happy.

Watch Rappler’s interview with him at the launch of the Active Vista Film Festival on July 11.

Aside from Lee, renowned filmmaker Auraeus Solito and award-winning actor Ronnie Lazaro also talked about how Dolphy changed the face of the entertainment scene.

“Dolphy started the concept of progressive queer characters,” Solito said. The director enumerated the Dolphy characters he remembered the most, from “a loving gay mother” in Ang Tatay Kong Nanay, and the gay version of the heroine Darna in Darna, Kuno, which Solito said was “hilarious.”

Lazaro, on the other hand, said Dolphy’s death was a shock to him. “It’s too soon to react to this,” he said. He said his death meant one thing: “It’s the closure of an era.”

– Rappler.com