The 30th of November 2014 was the 151st birth anniversary of Andres Bonifacio. In commemoration of this event, the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah hosted a screening of the film “Ang Paglilitis ni Andres Bonifacio”, a 2010 Cinemalaya film by the late Director Mario O’hara on 27 November 2014.

One hundred & fifty (150) attendees, comprising of invited Grade 7 students, teachers and principals from Al Dura (Gems) International School, Bader International School, Durat Al Sharq International School and International Philippine School in Jeddah (IPSJ), as well as the officers, staff and children of the Consulate, watched the film screening.

In a short program that preceded the screening, Consul General Leo Tito L. Ausan, Jr. welcomed the attendees by thanking them for their participation that ensured that the two-fold objective of the activity which are to promote Philippine cinema as well as enhance historical awareness of Filipino students studying in Saudi Arabia are achieved. He also thanked the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) for lending the film to the Consulate for the screening.

The students and the teachers, who stayed until the end of the film screening, were very enthusiastic about and appreciative of the movie. They collectively expressed that it gave them a new perspective on significant events surrounding the Philippine Revolution, as well as a new insights into the life of Andres Bonifacio. The screening also gave them a rare but welcome opportunity to appreciate the current state of Philippine independent cinema, which many promised to patronize, henceforth. END.