Jun Lana’s ‘Sisa’ turns history into confrontation, marks Hilda Koronel’s powerful return

At a time when Philippine cinema constantly searches for new ways to remember its past, filmmaker Jun Lana turns to history not for nostalgia — but for confrontation.

During the media conference for Sisa at Gateway Mall 2 in Cubao, the director explained that the project had long existed in his creative consciousness, waiting for the right moment to be realized.

“Matagal na po siyang material. Nagkataon na dumating yung right opportunity to do it.

Of course, when Miss H came on board, then dun nag-green light yung project. Because it’s not an easy film to produce right now.”

The presence of veteran actress Hilda Koronel ultimately transformed possibility into production.

“When we Miss H came on board, then si Perci [Intalan] can already go to other producers to say, ‘We have Hilda Koronel. This is the comeback film. Would you like to be part of this film?’ So, that became easier.”

But Sisa is not merely a comeback vehicle.

For Lana, it is a meditation on resistance — and on the cost of dignity.

A Story About Refusing Silence

The filmmaker revealed the central emotional core of the narrative:

“What I always wanted to tell with this story, the story about erasure. A story about what it means to say ‘no’ when the world isn’t listening.

And what happened to these women. They knew that they could not change history, but they can choose dignity at the very last moment of their lives.

And that’s what they did. And I wanted to tell that kind of story.”

He rooted the film’s spirit in a historical trauma — the Balangiga massacre — not as a literal retelling but as a philosophical mirror.

“If you’re familiar with Balangiga massacre? I mean, that’s the town where… we already knew that the Americans were already occupying the Philippines.

They could not change that. But they still decided, ‘We’re going to fight, and we’re going to kill the Americans.’

They wanted to resist. But in doing so, alam nila that if you do this, babalikan nila kayo. And that’s what happened.

Hindi lang sinunog yung bayan. Sinunog sila.”

For Lana, history is not only about what was given — but what was taken.

“When we look back at the American occupation, we are often asked to focus on the gifts.

We are often asked to focus on the gift of stability, the gift of education, the gift of infrastructure. But is asking what’s the cause?

Hindi yun benevolent intervention which happens until now.

We have to keep on asking ‘What’s the cause? What’s the damage? Ano yung kapalit?’”

Hilda Koronel’s Warrior

For Hilda Koronel, declining the film was never an option.

“Imposibleng tanggihan ko itong napakagandang script ni Direk. At saka yung director. So, imposibleng tanggihan ko. It’s a great film.”

Her Sisa is not madness — but clarity.

“Sisa is a brave character. She is very focused. She is also very kind, she’s not a bad person. Makikita mo sa pelikula.

I find her the embodiment of bravery and resistance.”

She sees the character as a reflection of women historically silenced:

“It’s a man’s world, and it still is somehow hanggang ngayon… Pero nung time na yun, nahirapan talaga ang mga babae na mag-express.

Tayo usually housewives lang, take care of the children, hindi tayo makapagsalita ng gusto nating sabihin.”

In the film, Sisa becomes a metaphor for the nation itself.

“You can see that she is equivalent to the Philippines. Yung nangyayari sa kanya doon, iyon yung nangyayari sa kanya sa Pilipinas.

Siya yung symbol dun ng mga oppressed talaga. 1902 yan. Pero lumaban siya.”

And while the themes are heavy, Koronel admits she relished the ferocity of the role.

“Palaban talaga ako. Ang dami kong pinatay, right? Enjoy na enjoy ako.

Naawa lang ako kay Jennica talaga… but I enjoyed killing everybody.

I really did! Ay! I love this script. Ang dami kong papatayin!”

Leaving Home, Carrying Home

In a separate interview, Koronel also reflected on stepping away from Philippine showbiz to live in the United States.

“Nung umalis ako matagal na rin ako sa industry, ilang decades na rin ako. My husband was saying, ‘Pahinga ka na.’

But Manila will always be home for me. So it’s kind of hard to leave my friends and family… but you do what you have to do.”

Her life abroad brought simplicity — and solitude.

“Medyo mahirap pero tahimik. Ikaw lahat, wala kang katulong. I cook, I clean, I do everything.”

She also kept her children away from the industry she loved.

“Buti naman. This is a very hard profession… kailangan matibay ang sikmura mo dito because of the heartaches and the temptations.”

Practicality guided her parenting:

“Give me a diploma first… Para kung hindi ka sumikat eh you have something to fall back on. I am practical.”

Cinema as Memory

Sisa ultimately asks a question larger than history — one that resonates today:

Who decides what is remembered?

And who pays the price for forgetting?

Through Lana’s lens and Koronel’s return, the film transforms a literary icon into a political voice — a woman who refuses erasure, even when defeat is inevitable.