4K restoration of 1979 Filipino neo-noir masterpiece ‘Jaguar’ premieres at film festival

Lino Brocka’s 1979 classic “Jaguar” premiered in a stunning 4K restoration at the 16th Lumière Film Festival in Lyon, France, on Thursday.

This marks the film’s triumphant return to the international stage over four decades after it became the first Filipino film nominated for the prestigious Palme d’Or at the 1980 Cannes Film Festival. “Jaguar,” a collaboration with renowned Filipino writers Pete Lacaba and Ricky Lee, tells the story of a security guard struggling to escape poverty and violence in Manila during the Marcos dictatorship.

The restoration, a joint effort by the Philippine Film Archive and Cité de Mémoire, breathes new life into Brocka’s masterful storytelling.

The film screened in the Lumière Classics & New Restorations: Treasures and Curiosities section on Oct. 17 and 18.