The news has been confirmed by O’Hara’s younger brother Jerry and other colleagues in film and theater.
O’Hara had been confined at the hospital since June 15 where he underwent chemotheraphy to save his life.
Director Jose Javier Reyes immediately paid tribute to his fallen colleague in a Facebook post.
“…Another giant of Philippine theater and film has passed away: Mario O’ Hara, you are a priceless gem…as an actor, as a writer and as a director. The mourning has not yet ceased as we lost another father, pioneer and visionary,” Reyes said.
Theater critic Gibbs Cadiz tweeted: “We just lost another national treasure. Rest in peace, Mario O’Hara — Renaissance Man, creative titan, the last of a breed.”
An early collaborator of the legendary Lino Brocka, the native of Zamboanga who grew up in the tough neighborhoods of Pasay City, began his career as a supporting actor for the director’s movies during the early 1970s including “Santiago”, “Tubog Sa Ginto”, and “Stardoom.”
His big break came in 1974 when Brocka directed his screenplay for “Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang”, now considered as the director’s greatest cinematic achievement.
He continued to collaborate with Brocka over the years with outstanding screenplays for films like 1976’s “Insiang” and 1978’s “Rubia Servios” even as he branched out and found his own niche as a respected filmmaker in his own right.
As both a screenwriter and director, O’ Hara’s works are known for their dark sense of realism with social messages that often border on nihilism.
Some of his noted films are “Bakit Bughaw Ang Langit”, “Condemned”, “Bulaklak ng City Jail” and his magnum opus, “Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos”, considered as the greatest Filipino film of all time by film critic Noel Vera, a longtime admirer of his work.
In later years, O’ Hara continued to find his niche in independent cinema, churning out one quality work after another and making the most of the limited budgets of his mostly indie productions.
These include 1999’s “Sisa,” 2003’s “Babae Sa Breakwater” and 2010’s “Ang Paglilitis ni Andres Bonifacio.”
Among the many honors he received over the years were two lifetime achievement awards for his film contributions from the Cinemanila International Film Festival and Best Film Of The Decade for “Babae Sa Breakwater” in the 2011 Gawad Urian Award.
As an actor, he was also nominated several times by the FAMAS in the Best Supporting Actor category, including for his unforgettable turn as Bertong Ketong in “Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang”.
His most recent work was as the director of the acclaimed “Sa Ngalan Ng Ina,” a 2011 teleserye for TV5 which also reunited him with Nora Aunor, the star of his best films.
source: interaksyon.com
