Grandma Igna (2019)

A dark hidden gem!

This movie was such a gem yes unique, funny and dark oh so dark... Showing a beautiful portrayal of a 118 year old granny, sweet, feisty, fun, honest and most definitely memorable.

I fell in love with this old lady from the first scene and just fell deeper and deeper as I "got to know her and saw her interactions with the people around her showing that even a 118 year old can show character development. And while all she wants to do is die and join her husband and friends, the people around her seem set on keeping her alive so she can get the tittle (and money for being) "The oldest grandmother in the world". Done well, I dare say really well...

With such great scenes as: . the granny explaining to her grandson that They say delivering babies to the world ads years to your life.... she delivered a lot of babies, but now I have stopped...

or becoming over joyed over the little things that she thinks may bring her closer to her death ...

The great grandson shown in this movie is also well casted and well written, lovable and just like a sweet teddy bear you want to hug.

Considering the plot one may think the other characters would become silly or overbearing but they are not!

So all in all defiantly a movie you should watch, so honestly what are you waiting for? GO!

Also the Countryside and setting is just gorgeous!

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"Someone went ahead of you again"

Lola Igna showed that a long life isn’t always a gift when a person has to watch as her family and friends all leave her behind. Veteran Filipino actress Angie Ferro portrayed the 118-year-old Igna who was in the running for oldest grandmother in the world. Lola Igna was a message of resiliency, quiet resignation, and reconciliation shown through the life of one woman and her tattered family.

Lola Igna’s great-granddaughter Nida takes the older woman to the mayor’s office where she is to receive an award for being the oldest grandmother in the Philippines. When asked what she hasn’t done that she would like to do by reporters, she tells them what she is looking forward to is death. While researching her age, the group Amazing People of the World believes she might be the oldest grandmother in the world which would come with a substantial cash prize. Nida is thrilled with this news and immediately seeks to cash in on Lola Igna’s newfound fame. On one of the tours to Igna’s house in the rice fields, her long lost great-great grandson arrives and makes his way into her life.

Director Roy depicted Lola Igna’s sparse surroundings without sliding into poverty porn. The flies, chamber pot, and simple meals didn’t come across as denigrating. Angie Ferro played Igna with dignity and a sense of humor while also hiding her sorrow at having lost family, friends, and even the man who was the first baby she ever delivered as a midwife. After some coconut wine her loneliness and her anger at God for leaving behind a person willing and ready to join her departed husband while younger people died spewed out. Yves Flores as Tim bounced into her world with his cell phone and camera and a healthy dose of respect for his great-great grandmother. He was also a reminder to everyone of his mother who left years before and never returned.

Lola Igna was a glimpse into the heartache people feel when they’ve attended too many wakes. The last sibling, the last child, the one who outlived those who were born after her was a terrible burden. Death is part of life, and Igna was ready to join her beloved unafraid of what lie ahead. While her final destination was delayed, Igna also gave freely of herself to her family and community. There were those who benefited financially from the centenarian yet the movie overwhelming showed the community’s and family’s loving generosity which led to heartfelt reconciliations. No life is free from sorrow but Lola Igna showed that it could be faced with grace and when necessary, a full chamber pot.

22 February 2024

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