Kid Kulafu: Pacquiao’s film bio gets stamp of approval from champ’s family

Director Paul Soriano and actor Buboy Villar pose before the fans during the premiere night of the film “Kid Kulafu”, held at Power Plant Mall in Makati City. ARVIN MENDOZA

HOLLYWOOD—Film director Paul Soriano said he was ecstatic that his movie, Kid Kulafu, was well received during its Los Angeles premiere here Saturday but added that his greatest triumph was when he got the “stamp of approval” from the Pacquiao family.

“Well, we had a very successful premiere here in Los Angeles,” said Soriano, whose movie told the story of Pacquiao during his early years as a poor boy in Mindanao. “We watched it with the Pacquiao family except Manny, who was training for the fight. He’ll watch it in another time.”

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Pacquiao skipped the premiere to continue training for his fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr on May 2 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

“I was very nervous,” Soriano said of the screening at AMC Theater here. “This is the family, especially since Mommy D was there.”

But Soriano said he got his “prize” right after the screening: “The best reaction was when after the screening, you could see that Mommy D (Pacquiao’s mother Dionisia) and [wife] Jinkee [Pacquiao] were very emotional. And even the young children, they all were so blessed to know how hardworking and dedicated their father was.”

“Even Ms Jinkee was saying that she didn’t really know in full detail that that was really his life before. Even the children, they appreciate all the sacrifices their father made for them to live a good life today.”

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Soriano was particularly ecstatic that Mommy D enjoyed the movie thoroughly and was so wrapped up with it during the screening.

“And Mommy D, to have her hug me and give me that stamp of approval, it meant a lot because a lot of the story revolves around her relationship with Manny, mother and son. She was very emotional and it felt like she was brought back to those times, those hard times. It just makes them appreciate more the blessings they have today.”

Soriano admitted that making the move was “one of the toughest things I ever had to do,” but the result was well worth it.

“It was three years in the making and just like Manny, we fought and fought and we made it. We’re now showing it not just in the Philippines but also all over the world.”

Kid Kulafu traces Pacquiao’s early years in General Santos City. The title is derived from the cheap liquor brand whose bottles he collected to earn a living. Soriano said the movie sells a positive message that people can latch on to.

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“Dreams come true if you continue to work hard. Faith in God and with God, all things are possible. Sometimes you just need to be reminded. That’s what I hope Kid Kulafu will do. It could inspire people to believe that they can be champions in their own life.”

Asked by the Inquirer to make a one-sentence pitch for the movie, Soriano said: “Before Manny conquered the world, he had to conquer himself first. That is what Kid Kulafu is all about.”

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