Eddie Garcia says he is fine

source: manilatimes.net

Veteran actor’s indie movie ‘Bwakaw’ begins commercial run
When Eddie Garcia missed the press conference and premiere night of his award-winning film Bwakaw on August 30, rumors immediately spread that the veteran actor had suffered a stroke or was recovering from some serious illness.

Thankfully, his fans can breathe a sigh of relief as Eddie appeared on television Wednesday night to deny the rumors and said he was okay.

“Alive! Nagpa-X-ray ako, at saka complete physical check-up. Sumakit yung [ulo ko]. Binasa ng neurologist, ‘Good news, hindi sungay ang tumubo sa iyo, halo’,” Eddie said in an interview with TV Patrol.

He said his doctors also advised him to take medication for high blood pressure. Despite being 83 years old, the veteran actor has showed no signs of slowing down, and continues to regularly appear in TV series, attributing his vitality to being health conscious.

But when asked if he plans to undergo the popular stem cell treatment like other high-profile celebrities, the actor-director replied, “Sa tupa yan. Baka mamaya, kapag hatinggabi, ‘meh’ meh’ [imitating the sound of a sheep].”

Eddie’s new movie Bwakaw has been Rated ‘A’ by the Cinema Evalution Board, and is a drama-comedy about growing old, and everyone’s fear of growing old alone.

Eddie plays the role of Rene, a 75-year-old man who thinks that at his age it is too late for love—even companionship—and that all there is to look forward to his death. But Rene’s life suddenly turns around when a stray dog named “Bwakaw”—a Filipino street slang for greedy—suddenly teaches him a lesson about life.

Bwakaw made headlines recently as it earned nods from globally renowned movie fests including the Toronto International Film Festival and New York Film Festival. It was also awarded at the 8th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival with Best Actor (for Eddie), Audience Choice, and Netpac Awards in the Director’s Showcase.

The movie is the first independent film by award winning director Jun Lana who said Bwakaw, was a “liberating experience” and admits he was surprised by the reception of the audiences.
“I knew we had a good movie but I did not expect the reception that we got from the audience and international invitations,” Lana explained.

“I decided to join Cinemalaya this year because I thought it was time to return to my roots. It was not an easy journey, but worth every moment. Writing, producing, and directing Bwakaw was quite liberating. For the first time, there were no templates. All I had to focus on was the story and how to best tell it visually,” he added.

Aside from Garcia and Princess, the dog, Bwakaw also stars Rez Cortez, Gardo Versoza, Bibeth Orteza, Soxie Topacio, Allan Paule, Joey Paras, Beverly Salviejo, Soliman Cruz, Bibeth Orteza, Luz Valdez, Jonathan Neri, May-I Fabros and Ms. Armida Siguion-Reyna.

Distributed by Star Cinema, Bwakaw began its commercial run on September 5 and is still showing in theaters. For more information about the movie log on to http://facebook.com/bwakawthemovie and follow the Twitter account @bwakawthemovie.
source: manilatimes.net