There’s more to Imelda Papin than her numerous jukebox hits.
She is to enlighten people about this via her biopic, “Loyalista: The untold story of Imelda Papin.”
As made obvious in the title, it is a deep dive into her connection with the Marcoses.
It also touches on her youth and her rise to stardom.
Note it is star-studded.
Playing Imelda in the film is actress Claudine Barretto.
And she did a fine job too.
Ditto Gary Estrada as Imelda’s husband Bong Carrion, ER Ejercito as Ferdinand Marcos, Sr., Alice Dixon as former first lady Imelda Marcos.
Imelda’s daughter, Maffi Papin, is also part of the film, playing herself.
The film is meant to celebrate Imelda’s 45th year in show business.
Production made sure to leave no stone unturned, going to great lengths ensuring accuracy through painstaking research.
Imelda made clear, “Lahat ng pinakita dito totoo, hindi kathang isip.”
The movie allowed glimpses of her early days as a young dreamer, joining contest after contest in and around Bicol.
It follows her family’s migration to Manila where she further honed her abilities, eventually scoring a number of hits that earned her the Sentimental Songstress title.
The film also revealed why Imelda followed the Marcoses in Hawaii, leaving a successful career behind.
She said, “It’s all about love, kung paano mo sinuportahan ang isang kaibigan when he was down, yung ganun. And I was there. Of course, a lot of people were there for them din. It’s all about love for humanity, for family, for our country.”
