Last April 14th went by unnoticed, but it was a memorable date for me. This photo was taken on that day in 2019.
Until now, I am asked if I expected the award. No, I didn’t. In my heart, I will always be grateful for the trust that Siu Kuen and the team gave me, to bring voice to a story that was waiting to be told.
I was involved with these women’s stories a decade before the script was written, and it was my respect for them that prompted me to help reclaim the narrative— on film and in real life. In a way, it was, for me, a chance to allow the Filipina voice to be heard.
Did my life change since then? I would have to say, not much. I quote Matthew Scott’s article in the Prestige’s June 2019 cover story:
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Prestige, June 2019:
‘Still Human’ Stars Anthony Wong and Crisel Consunji on Their Roles of a Lifetime
...Sit with Consunji for any length of time and you’ll walk away convinced that’s how, despite all the acclaim that has followed her debut film role, she seems to have remained so grounded. Over a break during our cover shoot, she recounts how, on returning home to Hong Kong after travelling to Italy for the Far East Film Festival, the mother of one of her students rushed up to her, super excited.
“She said to me, ‘You must be so proud!’,” recounts Consunji. “And I’d been so swept up in the film that I thought she must have been talking about that. But she was talking about the opening of our new school. She didn’t know about Italy or the awards, she was more concerned with real life. So, you know, in terms of getting carried away, I think I’ll be fine. The other side of my life keeps my feet on the ground.”
- Matthew Scott
You can read that article here, by the way: https://www.prestigeonline.com/hk/people-events/people/still-human-stars-anthony-wong-crisel-consunji/
This succinctly captures my feelings about the experience, and my thoughts on where I’m going next 😊
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#gratitude #hkfa
