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Sister Stella L.

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Sister Stella L.
Official movie poster
Directed byMike de Leon
Written by
Produced byLily Monteverde
Starring
CinematographyRody Lacap
Edited byJesus "Jess" Navarro
Music byDing Achacoso
Production
company
Regal Films
Distributed byRegal Films
Release date
  • July 11, 1984 (1984-07-11)
Running time
103 minutes
CountryPhilippines
LanguageFilipino

Sister Stella L. is a 1984 Philippine political drama film directed by Mike de Leon from a screenplay he co-wrote with Pete Lacaba and Jose Almojuela, with additional dialogue written by Ellen Ongkeko. The screenplay was based on and inspired by the life and experiences of Sr. Chayong Battung and Sr. Mary Pilar Versoza, and it revolves around a nun becoming politically involved as she took part in a strike where she fought for the rights of the workers.[1][2] It stars Vilma Santos as the titular nun of the film, Jay Ilagan, Gina Alajar, Laurice Guillen, Tony Santos Sr., Anita Linda, and Liza Lorena.

Initially, Mike de Leon wanted to produce the film by himself. However, because of financial limitations, he was forced to ask Regal Films founder and executive producer Lily Monteverde to join as producer and she agreed.[3] Produced and distributed by Regal Films, the film, theatrically released on July 11, 1984, was a commercial failure but received acclaim when it won ten awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Screenplay, and Best Director, from the Gawad Urian Awards. It also competed at the 41st Venice International Film Festival for the Golden Lion but lost to Krzysztof Zanussi's A Year of the Quiet Sun.[4]

The film's theme song "Aling Pag-ibig Pa" was selected by the Catholic Mass Media Awards as the best theme song in 1984.[5]

Synopsis

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Sister Stella Legaspi is a nun who serves as a guidance counselor for people who have problems, including abused women and runaways. Later on, she became involved in sociopolitical issues as she took part in a strike organized by the laborers.

Cast

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Digital restoration

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In 2012, when ABS-CBN Corporation began its film restoration campaign, they wanted to restore the film, but it failed to push through due to various disagreements, particularly with the director's grievances toward the Monteverdes regarding the matter of restoring it.[a]

In June 2023, the Film Development Council of the Philippines announced that they teamed up with Regal Entertainment to restore two films from the said film studio that starred Vilma Santos, among the two is the 1984 film Sister Stella L.[8]

The restored 4K version, with the scenes that were deleted by the Marcos-era censors being reinstated (which were funded personally by de Leon), premiered on June 23, 2026, as part of the 40th Il Cinema Ritrovato in Bologna, Italy.[7]

References

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  1. ↑ "Sr. Chayong Battung, real-life "Sister Stella L", passes away at 78". ABS-CBN News. November 26, 2021. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  2. ↑ Afinidad-Bernardo, Deni Rose M. (July 21, 2017). "Who is the real "Sister Stella L."?". The Philippine Star. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  3. ↑ Vibal & Villegas 2020, p. 161.
  4. ↑ Tajan, Menchie (1994). "Sister Stella L. / Sangandaan". Cultural Center of the Philippines Encyclopedia of Philippine Art.
  5. ↑ "CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art | CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art". CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art. Retrieved 2024-07-02.
  6. ↑ Anarcon, James Patrick (June 21, 2016). "Mike de Leon airs grievances against Mother Lily about restoration of Sister Stella L". Philippine Entertainment Portal. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
  7. 1 2 Bernardo, Jaehwa (June 15, 2026). "Restored 'Sister Stella L' to screen at prestigious Italian festival". ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
  8. ↑ Cruz, Marinel (June 27, 2023). "FDCP to restore 2 Vilma Santos films, conduct free workshops". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved November 24, 2023.

Notes

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  1. ↑ Attributed to these references: [6][7]

Works cited

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  • Vibal, Gaspar; Villegas, Dennis (2020). Philippine Cinema, 1897–2020. Vibal Foundation. ISBN 978-971-97-0717-2.
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