Hilda Koronel on Lino Brocka and ‘Insiang’ (The 6th Cinema Indio Film Festival)

by Rene Villaroman / Asianjournal.com

October 24–26, 2007 • ASIAN JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS

 LOS ANGELES—Dramatic actress Hilda Koronel graced the screening of Insiang with her presence on Thursday, October 18. Insiang is a movie directed by legendary Filipino director Lino Brocka, and became an official Filipino film entry to the Cannes Film Festival 31 years ago. The movie depicts the tragic story of a family in a squatter settlement in Manila. It is considered as one of the greatest movies made by Brocka in the late 1970s and afforded attention for the Philippines to emerge as a producer of world-class cinema.

Insiang is one of Koronel’s most important films in her career as a much-sought after actress. She began as a child actress in 1969 when she was 12 years old. She was 18 when she starred in a pivotal role as Insiang, an abused teenage daughter to actress Mona Lisa’s character as an abandoned wife and abusive mother.

“It was a great experience; it’s always been great working with Lino Brocka, Koronel told the Asian Journal. “Lino is a wonderful director; and not just this. He’s a wonderful person. He is like my father; he is like my brother, he’s everything to me,” Hilda recalled.

Insiang is a timeless movie,” Hilda commented. “It does not matter when you show it, it will still affect you. I think a lot of people can relate with it in a lot of countries, especially third world countries,” she said.

The movie was filmed at a former dumpsite in Manila — Smokey Mountain.

“We don’t have it now—they built on it—it’s the original Smokey Mountain, which is like, trash everywhere,” she recalled. This is the original place that Lino showed to the entire world,” she further added.

“Insiang is about poverty; it’s a personal movie, and it means different things to different people. It’s about revenge. It’s about love. It’s about betrayal.”

The movie was shown at the SIPA (Search to Involve Pilipino Americans) center and is one of several Filipino movies being screened at the Sixth Cinema Indio Film Festival, according to founder Cora Pastrana. “Insiang is one of the best films ever produced by Lino Brocka,” Pastrana said. “Hilda Koronel is legendary. She’s not only one of the most beautiful actresses we’ve ever had, she’s also one of the finest,” she added.

Insiang was the third movie shown at the festival, and this week, another Brocka classic, Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang, which features Koronel and Christopher de Leon, will be screened at SIPA. “This year we decided to hold the festival here in Los Angeles because we are celebrating Filipino-American History Month in October.”