Actress Chai Fonacier Is A Force Of Nature In International Film Nocebo

Actress Chai Fonacier Is A Force Of Nature In International Film Nocebo

Carlo Fajarda

One element about actress and musician Chai Fonacier that everyone would agree on is that she is fearless. Her performances radiate confidence au naturel

 

She received her first acting award in 2015 for Miss Bulalacao at the Cinema One Originals Festival. Then in 2017, she won the Luna Awards for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal in Patay Na Si Hesus

 

And Fonacier is just getting started. “I am going to ride my life now like a surfer would. I don’t surf, but I understand the principle: You sit on your board and wait for the wave. I don’t know what kind of wave is coming, and I am scared of it. But I have my eyes on the horizon,” Fonacier tells Vogue Philippines in an exclusive video call, describing her rise to stardom in the international arena.

 

On October 14, the long-gestating folk horror movie Nocebo will premiere in Sitges, Spain. It stars Eva Green, Fonacier, and Mark Strong. Fonacier will grace the red carpet wearing Vania Romoff alongside her co-stars.

Film Still from Nocebo | Radek Ladczuk P.S.C.

Irish director Lorcan Finnegan takes on the tale of a UK fashion designer, Christine, played by Green, who is struck by a mysterious illness. Christine hires a Filipino nanny, Diana (Fonacier), to look after the household. In an attempt to cure Christine’s condition, she offers an ancient folk remedy.

 

Then, a surprising portrait emerges. Diana becomes the uncontrolled and uncontrollable creation of a powerful dark force, which shapes the conflict of the story more than what she can possibly understand.

 

“Diana has a lot of pain. I think that this journey of hers is dealing with personal pain. This pain brought by the loss that she experienced and that led her to where she is now,” says Fonacier, who was born and raised in Cagayan de Oro. She studied communication at the University of the Philippines in Cebu where she was active in the music, film, and theater community.

 

“I know science has explained a lot of things in the world, but I think there are still a lot out there that we could not explain [either]. But it doesn’t only talk about folk healing, but it also discusses about the current situation of labor practices, consumerism, and the issues of fast fashion,” Fonacier says.

Carlo Fajarda

Great care has also been rendered in handling the folkloric aspect. The producers consulted with local practitioners and employed Filipino writers to guard its accuracy. Talismans, herbs, and animal “familiars” that aid spells are employed as props.

 

“I had fears of misrepresenting our culture, but the more that I delve into the character and the more that I delve into the story, I understand how the producers prepared for the movie,” she says. “They did it with a lot of respect. It comes from a protective space.”

 

She shares that they consulted with a Filipino shaman on how to handle the props. “These props were the actual stuff that shamans would use. If I mishandled them, it may take [away] the authenticity of the movie,” the actress says. “I could not forget about this one item in the movie that is very dangerous to handle. With any route you take, do not pass by a cemetery. So the producers checked all the routes to the location to make sure there’s no cemetery nearby.”

 

Viewers have taken note of Fonacier since the movie’s trailer was released earlier. She needed extraordinary stamina to tackle Finnegan’s most monumental tragedy, pitch-black to the point of extreme skepticism.

 

“Most of the characters I played before are comedic, finding the funny and the ridiculous even in the worst situation. What makes Diana unique is I am able to explore a certain kind of darkness in her and in our culture. She is not complicated at all, but this one is pretty hard,” she says. “But the kind of relationship we had with the director is collaborative. I watched Eva try different techniques during rehearsals to see how the director would receive them.”

The pair’s chemistry was undeniable. What was novel about Nocebo for the Filipino was witnessing Green, a multi-awarded French actor, graciously step back and let another star shine. 

 

“Eva is very generous,” Fonacier says. “She is nice to everybody on-set; yet, she was not intrusive. When waiting for her turn to go, she could sit on one corner and go unnoticed. But once she stepped into the scene, she could fill a big hall. She transformed into her character. She did not impose a certain method when we shot our scenes together. Pakiramdaman lang. She would respond to what I give, vice-versa.”

 

What has been less mentioned now is Fonacier’s music. After having been discovered on the first season of Pinoy Dream Academy in 2005, she finally moved to Manila where she became a singer-songwriter whose thoughtful lyrics and beauty have captured the independent music and art scenes. In 2017, she won in the Visayan Pop Music Festival as the interpreter of the Cebuano song Kung Di Pa Lang Ko Buang.

 

“I am going to have music with me. It’s going to be there. It’s just a matter of what phase I am in my life,” she says. “For now, it’s acting. But who knows? Back then, I thought I was only going to be a musician. I didn’t expect I would land in film.” 

 

Fonacier croons in her music, building spoken-word verses into operatic crescendos, but no matter what size stage she ends up, expect her to do it with bare soul. “I have been asked many times about how I made it through show business. Pain, poverty, and pancit canton. Honestly, I don’t have a clue,” she says. “When you hit rock bottom, cried all the tears, usually what happens? You start laughing like a mad man.”

UP Manila prof named Outstanding Filipino by Metrobank Foundation

Dr. Leonila De La Fuente Dans, professor at the University of the Philippines Manila College of Medicine Department of Pediatrics and Department of Clinical Epidemiology, was one of the Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipinos awardees who was recognized as a Pioneering Educator on Pediatric Rheumatology.

 

She is the first Filipina doctor to specialize in the care of children with rheumatologic or autoimmune diseases and became the very first chief of the Pediatric Rheumatology Section of the Department of Pediatrics, Philippine General Hospital.

 

“The path I have chosen is actually quite unique and rare, because at the start nobody was into this field,“ stated Dr. Dans as she was the one who designed her own pediatric rheumatology fellowship training program. She observed that there is still a need for more pediatricians who can take care of thousands of children suffering from these kinds of diseases.

 

Her other major achievement is in the field of clinical epidemiology, having led the implementation of Southeast Asia’s first Master of Science program in Clinical Epidemiology. She aims to train more doctors to specialize in pediatric rheumatology as well as in clinical epidemiology.

 



Dr. Dans is a Member Emeritus of the American College of Rheumatology, member of the International Clinical Epidemiology Network, and Advisory Editorial Board member of the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology. She is a member of the WHO Expert Advisory Panel on Clinical Practice Guidelines and Research Methods and Ethics. She has authored several journal articles and book chapters, with special interest on issues of applicability and equity. Her most recent publication is the second edition of their user-friendly simplified book entitled “Painless Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM)” targeted for EBM practitioners.

 

Over the past two years, she has been the sage voice of the Healthcare Professionals Alliance Against COVID-19 (HPAAC), a group of healthcare workers whose statements help shape the national response to the pandemic. She is the Project Co-leader in the development of the Philippine COVID-19 Living Clinical Practice Guidelines funded by the Department of Health through the Philippine Council for Health Research Development.

 

Dr. Dans was awarded the rank of UP Scientist III of the UP Scientific Productivity System 2017-2019.

The award conferment held on Sept. 5, 2022 marked the celebration of Metrobank’s diamond anniversary. Recognized were four teachers, three soldiers, and three police officers each of whom received a cash incentive, gold medallion, and “The Flame” trophy.

 

The awardees underwent an intensive selection process and were selected from hundreds of nominations. The awardees’ accomplishments include innovations in their respective institutions as well as advocacies that benefit several communities. This year’s teacher-awardees have proven that mentorship is crucial in a learner’s journey, especially during a crisis. Their breakthroughs and innovations are rooted in shaping the future generation. Watch the awarding ceremony here.

 

Charmaine Lingdas | With reports from Metrobank Foundation

 

Source: https://www.upm.edu.ph/node/3964

 

UP SLIS dominates 2021 librarian boards


All 10 examinees the UP Diliman School of Library and Information Studies (UPD SLIS) fielded in the September 2021 Librarian Licensure Examination passed, clinching the top spot in both school performance and individual rankings.


UP Diliman was the top performing school in the examinations with a 100-percent passing rate, with six out of the 10 examinees making it to the top 10.


Francisco Fillon Magpantay Jr. is the topnotcher with a 90.50-percent rating. Ranking 3rd is Ian Dominic Pasicolan Sipin (87.80%), followed by Ma Nicole Reduta Tacuboy (4th, 86.95%), Simon Philip Reyes Sacramento (5th, 86.70%), Nico Jose Monteveros Regalado (6th, 86.60%), and Mikhaella Dela Torre Javier (8th, 86.35%).


According to the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), 113 out of the 237 examinees passed the examination given on Sept. 8 and 9 by the Board for Librarians in Manila, Baguio, Cagayan De Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Legazpi, Lucena, Rosales, Tacloban, and Tuguegarao.


Source: https://upd.edu.ph/up-slis-dominates-2021-librarian-boards/

Dr. Violeta S. Ignacio, 73

The UPDEPP community of faculty members, administrative staff members, students, and alumni mourn the loss of beloved colleague and history professor, Dr. Violeta S. Ignacio.

One of the pillars of UP in Pampanga, Dr. Ignacio began her service in 1976 at the then UP College in Clark Air Base, serving in various committees and teaching Kasaysayan ng Pilipinas (Kas 1), Ang Asya at ang Daigdig (Kas 2), and The Life & Works of Rizal (PI 100) throughout her four decades with the University. A tireless scholar, Dr. Ignacio was the recipient of numerous research and travel grants and scholarships, including the Fulbright Senior Research Scholar Award (2001-2002), the Fulbright-Hays Scholarship Grant for Doctoral Enrichment (1981-1982), and the Institute of International Education Cultural Enrichment Award, New York (1982). Her work was published in a long list of local and international peer-reviewed journals, and she was a sought-after speaker at countless conferences all over the world.

“Ma’am Violy” is fondly remembered by her colleagues as a brilliant yet down-to-earth academic who graced the halls of UPDEPP with her warm and kind presence. Of his former professor, Vladimir Guevarra writes, “She spoke softly and her manners were very demure and conservative, but her knowledge of Philippine history was profound, and her anti-imperialist and pro-working class stance was sharp and sincere.”

The UPDEPP community thanks you, Dr. Ignacio, for your service and your friendship.

Dr. Ignacio’s remains lie in state at Floresco, St. John Chapel (Gen. Luna St., Malabon) until Sunday, 25 October. Her ashes will be burried at the Eternal Gardens in Caloocan.

Source: UP Clark FB Page

Luis Elizaga Agbayani (1956-2020)

Luis “Louie” Elizaga Agbayani passed away last July 21, 2020 at the age of 64.

He was born on June 25, 1956 in Pangasinan. He graduated from the University of the Philippines with a degree of BS Business Administration and Master of Business Administration. A former instructor at the College of Business Administrator and Mayor of Sual, Pangasinan from 1995 to 2004.

For anyone who wants to reach out to Mr. Agbayani’s family, please contact his son Luigi Agbayani at 0917 1173332.

Photo courtesy of Agbayani Family

Kathlynne Anne C. Abat-Senen, MD. (1977-2020)

The UP Medical Students’ Society expresses its deepest condolences for the passing of its dear alumna Kathlynne Anne C. Abat-Senen, MD.

Dr. Karen graduated from the UP College of Medicine in 2004, and had specialized in Neonatology. She was a consultant in the Department of Pediatrics at the Philippine General Hospital where she was cherished and admired by her colleagues and students alike.

On August 23, 2020, she met her Creator after her long battle with COVID-19.

We extend our condolences to her family, and wish them healing and good health.

Source: Facebook Post