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Philippines, 16 Feb 2026 |
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INSIDE SPORTS - A FEEL GOOD MOVIE ABOUT PACQUIAO By Ronnie Nathanielsz PhilBoxing.com Sat, 18 Apr 2015  The days that we used to go to theaters to watch movies has long gone, partly due to our being engrossed in following all manner of sports on television and of course an occasional movie in the comfort of our home without having to navigate horrendous traffic jams that destroy whatever enjoyment you get from watching a good movie. We had no choice but to break the trend of many years when invited by youthful director Paul Soriano and his Dad, Pastor Jeric Soriano who called a few times to make sure we would attend the premier of ?Kid Kulafu?, the initial movie venture of Paul with Star Cinema. The movie received incredible support from the giant broadcast network ABS-CBN whose prime virtue is that it wholeheartedly supports any venture it gets into, with style and a relentless use of all its many platforms in promoting its product. We braved the traffic on EDSA to get to the Rockwell Theater on time where a huge crowd of fashionable people was milling around enjoying snacks and each others company. Many of the stars of the network were there to lend their support to Paul and the venture itself because the story of eight division world champion Manny Pacquiao who was known as ?Kid Kulafu? when he fought as an amateur in his early years is always a fascinating experience. There is so much to tell because so little has been told in the past and even we ourselves who chronicled the saga of Manny as a 16 year old on the weekly boxing show ?Blow by Blow? needed to fill in some of the gaps in our own appreciation of his early life hounded by hardship but molded on the anvil of courage, faith and caring. It was both an enthralling movie and an emotional ride for those like us who shared his early years of triumph as well as setbacks in the ring which, upon reflection, did not just make Manny a better fighter but a better human being. Floyd Mayweather Jr has said that the timing of his fight with Pacquiao on May 2 was perfect. But the timing of the release of ?Kid Kulafu? was infinitely better because it once again put into stark perspective Manny?s conquest of his childhood poverty and his remarkable humility in the face of unprecedented success which contrasts dramatically with the arrogance and the ostentatious displays of wealth by Mayweather. Pacquiao was named ?Kid Kulafu? after a brand of wine whose bottles he gathered as a kid and sold to the nearest junk shop or recycling agent so he could put some food on the table for his mother Dionisia and his brothers and sisters, since their father had long abandoned them. Director Paul Soriano put it simply when he said ?He was born with nothing but because of God, because of hard work and faith he became something.? In our eyes Manny Pacquiao has emerged as not just a champion and a hero but the embodiment of the quintessential Filipino, who is both compassionate and courageous and someone who cares deeply especially for those mired in the same kind of poverty that marked his childhood even as he inspires them to strive to overcome. Normally, directors enjoy a license to embellish or invent but in the case of Paul who spent two years doing research for the film with much of it based on his personal conversations with Pacquiao, helps distinguish ?Kid Kulafu? because it is factual without a trace of fiction. This is no myth. This is the unvarnished truth. We who spent years with Pacquiao from the time he fought his third fight against Rocky Palma on May 1, 1995 in Imus, Cavite, were pleasantly surprised by the commitment to reality which, in itself, sets the movie apart. In our humble view ?Kid Kulafu? is a film that must be seen because it mirrors the courage and perseverance of a poor Filipino boy who helped earn international respect and recognition for our country at a time when it was down. Buboy Vilar, the young boy who portrayed the role of Manny with an amazing sense of reality was indeed a revelation. Honed to be a boxer he surpassed all expectations with his hand-speed and movement a mirror of Manny. What an unbelievable talent this kid is. And as he himself so eloquently remarked ?Everyone can mimic his moves but you can?t easily copy his courage.? The movie incorporated Pacquiao?s first world title victory when he scored a spectacular 8th round knockout of Thai hero Chatchai Sasakul after taking a bad beating in the earlier rounds, to win the World Boxing Council flyweight title in a championship bout we anchored together with longtime colleague Quinito Henson. It was real life drama with Director Soriano?s juxtaposition of Mommy D watching the fight and screaming her heart out in a role played out with remarkable fervor by Alessandra de Rossi which was an absolute touch of cinematic genius. We believe with all our heart that every single Filipinos who takes shared pride in Pacquiao?s achievements and can identify with the rags to riches story, should watch ?Kid Kulafu?. It?s a movie that all of us must identify with because is not one of those glitzy movies with big name stars but rather a movie that should make you feel good because it is unmistakably real. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.  |
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