(L-R) Filipino Social Club (FILCOM) President Ericson Reyes; ABS-CBN Global Managing Director for Europe, Middle East, and Africa Joseph Arnie Garcia; Consul General Marford Angeles; World Group Founder Graham Cooke; Philippine Ambassador to the UAE Hjayceelyn Aurora Quintana; Entrepreneur and Community Leader Marlene Murphy; President of Dubai Jewish Community Center Solly Wolf; Labor Attache in Abu Dhabi Atty. Manuel Dimaano; and Filipino Social Club Secretariat Zyra Ray.
“
Quezon’s Game,” which tells of the story how Jewish people were rescued by Philippine President Manuel L. Quezon, premiered last November 9 at the Mall of Emirates in Dubai, UAE, which happened to coincide with a historic event to the Jews known as the
Kristallnacht or the
Night of Broken Glass.
According to the Holocaust Encyclopedia, the
Kristallnacht or the
Night of Broken Glass happened in 1938 in Germany where many synagogues were burned, thousands of Jewish businesses were destroyed, and many Jewish lives were lost.
Thus, watching the film “
Quezon’s Game,” which tells the story of how Philippine President Manuel L. Quezon and some notable figures in the 1930s have rescued refugees from the ghettos of Germany and Austria, was a moving experience especially to those who have Jewish roots.
“This movie is very important for everyone to watch and to see what the Filipino community has done for the Jewish people many years ago. This movie is not about to learn what happened some 80 years ago, but what we ask is what will happen tomorrow? What could we do to make a change, to make a better tomorrow?” said
Rabbi Levi Duchman who were among those who graced the well-attended “
Quezon’s Game” premiere.
On the other hand, as ABS-CBN and TFC bring the movie to UAE, ABS-CBN Global Managing Director to Europe, Middle East, and Africa
Joseph Arnie Garcia says it is an honor to take part in sharing the story of the heroic act of Manuel L. Quezon to the world. “While we commemorate our brothers and sisters who suffered at that time, the same event also brought about the good in humanity. One of whom who inspired us and opened his home to us is the Philippine President Manuel L. Quezon. This is his story. On behalf of ABS-CBN and The Filipino Channel, it is an honor to witness and to share with everyone the untold story of his heroism and those who fought beside him,” he said.
(L-R) ABS-CBN Global Managing Director Joseph Arnie Garcia; Philippine Ambassador to the UAE Hjayceelyn Aurora Quintana; President of Dubai Jewish Community Center Solly Wolf; and ABS-CBN Global Regional Marketing Head for Europe, Middle East, and Africa Audielyn Avecilla-Riola
Philippine Ambassador to the UAE
Hjayceelyn Aurora Quintana who is among those who graced the special screening also agrees that the screening of the film the region is timely, saying, “I am glad that the producers of Quezon’s Game have brought this movie to the UAE—a country that is blazing its own trail for greater tolerance and humanity.”
Filipino Jewish Talia Conway said it is "very important" for Filipinos and half-Filipinos like her to watch the film "Quezon's Game" to know and understand better their Filipino culture
The film resonated even to the younger generation, like to the Filipino Jewish
Talia Conway who was born and raised overseas. “As a mixed child, you don’t usually see both your cultures in a big screen very often and it is very interesting for me to see both sides of the story because I usually hear about the holocaust, what happened to my family, my descendants, but I don’t usually hear about the Philippines and their help. This is really interesting. I’ve never heard this before and it is very important to my culture to know because I’m half Filipino,” she said.
The UAE release of the film “Quezon’s Game” also underscores the unprecedented close relations between UAE and the Jewish country, Israel, after the Abraham Accord was signed last August. The UAE high-ranking officials, including H.E.
Sheikh Maktoum Bin Butti Al Maktoum, the Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MOFAIC) Office in Dubai, even graced the movie premiere.
“
Quezon’s Game” was produced by
Star Cinema in association with
iWant, and
Kinetek, which stars
Raymund Bagatsing,
Rachel Alejandro,
David Bianco,
Billy Ray Gallion,
James Paolelli, and
Kate Alejandrino.
It is directed by
Matthew Rosen, written by
Janice Y. Perez and
Dean Rosen which was based on the original story of Matthew Rosen and Lorena H. Rosen, under the Supervising Producer
Marizel S. Martinez and Creative Producers
Enrico C. Santos and
John Paul E. Abellera. The film’s Executive Producers were
Carlo L. Katigbak,
Olivia M. Lamasan,
Linggit Tan-Marasigan, and
Lorena H. Rosen.
Let your Filipino pride shine through, do not miss the film “
Quezon’s Game,” now screening in UAE. For the cinema list and more information about the film, visit quezonsgame.com, emea.kapamilya.com or facebook.com/TFCMiddleEast.
###
Media Contact:
Joyce Jimenez
ABS-CBN Global Corporate Affairs and PR
Global_Corporate_Affairs@abs-cbn.com (EMAIL)