Carlos Celdran in Livin' La Vida Imelda

Carlos wore many hats: artist, activist, provocateur, tireless advocate for his beloved city, Manila. He wore them interchangeably, often blurring their distinctions as when he used performance art to advocate for Reproductive Rights inside Manila Cathedral in 2003. That act landed him in jail, charged with an archaic law for “offending religious feelings.” By August 2018, his case made it to the Philippine Supreme Court, which upheld the conviction. On February of 2019, rather than face the grim and very dangerous prospect of a year in Manila’s notorious prisons, he flew to Madrid, Spain, where he died on October 8, 2019 — in exile.

Carlos’s friends and family are still grieving this tremendous loss. We hope this recorded performance of his one-person play Livin’ La Vida Imelda serves as a reminder of his blazing talents. 

WE WILL MISS YOU, CARLOS. ALWAYS.