SISA (The Idea First Company)
Starring Hilda Koronel, Eugene Domingo, Jennica Garcia,
directed by Jun Robles Lana. Opens March 4, 2026. is a highly
anticipated 2026 Philippine historical thriller starring veteran actress Hilda
Koronel in her major comeback, directed by Jun Robles Lana, reimagining the
tragic Noli Me Tángere character as a resilient spy during the
Philippine-American War, a role praised for Koronel's powerful portrayal of a
woman's endurance and a bridge between Philippine cinema's past and present.
SISA is a 2025 Philippine historical thriller drama film
written, co-produced, and directed by Jun Robles Lana. It stars Hilda Koronel in her comeback film
after her 13-year hiatus, with the supporting cast including Eugene Domingo, Jennica Garcia, Tanya Gomez, Barbara Miguel, and Romnick Sarmenta. Set during the last
years of the Philippine-American War,
the film follows a woman who became a madwoman after she witnessed the
bloodbath.
The year is 1902. The war between the
Americans and Filipino revolutionaries drew to a brutal and bloody close. Many
people became victims, including Sisa. Unknown to many, she harbors a secret
that she plans to use for revenge.
A co-production of The IdeaFirst Company,
October Train Films, Quantum Films, and Cineko Productions, the film had its
world premiere on 20 November 2025, at the 29th Tallinn
Black Nights Film Festival in Estonia, where it is part of the
"Official Selection - Competition" category. A Philippine
premiere is scheduled to be released theatrically on 4 March 2026.
Plot
During the final years of the brutal Philippine-American War, a woman survived after she witnessed
the total annihilation of her family and community by the American soldiers. As
a result, she became a madwoman, but unknown to anyone, this was just a
strategy through which she would exact revenge on them.
“Her silence was survival. Her madness, a
weapon. Her mission: revenge.
The Philippines, 1902. The land is raw,
wounded, occupied. Smoke clings to the trees. Blood soaks the soil. The war is
over – but the violence lingers. Widows fill the villages. Mothers vanish into
silence. Among them walks Sisa (Hilda Koronel), barefoot and broken, dismissed
as mad by those who fear what they don't understand. But madness is only the
surface.
Beneath the rags and ramblings, Sisa
hides a secret: she is a spy. A survivor. A mother robbed of everything but
rage. Haunted by visions she cannot silence, she begins to lead a quiet revolt
– gathering women who, like her, have been pushed to the margins. As betrayal
coils around her, Sisa walks the line between memory and madness, asking what
it takes to rise when the world has already buried you.
This shows emotional precision and a
searing performance by Hilda Koronel, “Sisa” is both a historical thriller and
an urgent elegy.
Key Details About Sisa and Hilda
Koronel's Comeback:
·
Release
Date: The film is set to open in
Philippine cinemas on March 4, 2026.
·
Plot: The story follows Sisa, who survives a brutal
village massacre and uses the guise of madness to enact vengeance.
·
Genre: A historical drama/thriller that explores the
"mothering of a nation" and the strength of Filipino women.
·
Production: Directed by Jun Robles Lana, the film
features a cast including Eugene Domingo and Jennica Garcia.
·
Significance: This marks a major return for Koronel, whose
last film was The Mistress (2012). The film had its world
premiere at the 29th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in Estonia
Trailers:
(1) https://youtu.be/TsG-KO-zbOQ?si=9ckWLZ2IY87XswwS
(2) https://youtu.be/bLaoh4Qop1A?si=_FEa115OCeb04WZx
