The continuing struggle of Sister Stella L.

By Vincent Silarde

“Bawat pusong nagmamahal ay dumarating sa sangandaan.”
(Every heart that beats for love reaches a crossroad. )
—Sangandaan (Sister Stella L. theme song)

Twenty-five years ago, Stella Legaspi reached a crossroad as she is confronted by an old and emerging love. In the film Sister Stella L. (1984), the title role played by Vilma Santos is pursued by her ex-boyfriend while her heart spontaneously goes out to the labor movement. She is luckily not torn between the two. But social circumstances make the three parties intricately intertwined and Stella would be remembered for the dignified and inspiring manner she tackled the situation.

Awakening and decision making lie deep in the heart of Sister Stella L. as it tells the story of how a nun decides to chart a new path in her chosen vocation. In the film, Stella L. is seen to gradually discard her old life of comfort and conformity. It was the height of social dissent and Stella is tucked in the confines of a convent. Her only assignment aside from praying is to look after an emotionally troubled and self-destructive Gigi played by Gina Alajar. On this account, Nick, her ex-boyfriend who is a journalist, questions the substance of Stella’s chosen vacation. In an article published in a local newspaper, Stella L. is unfavorably compared by Nick to more radical elements of the Church. Underneath, Nick is also bitter over their breakup many years ago. To spite Stella, he asks “What’s it with Christ that I don’t have?”

Stella L. is thrust into the labor movement through her namesake Sister Stella Bautista, played in a stand-out performance by Laurice Guillen. Bautista is assigned in a community populated by working-class families. On Stella L’s visit to Bautista, she is at once made party to the first day of strike in the factory. In this occasion, Stella is revealed as ignorant but not dumb. Stella was thrown into the frontline of the strike guilelessly chanting and raising placards. When a police officer asks what exactly is her business being there, Stella eloquently invoked the Christian values of compassion for the poor. As Stella’s participation in the strike deepens, she once again finds herself in the close company of Nick who started reporting about the strike. Nick’s new assignment similarly brings the journalist into his own crossroad.

In the strike area, Stella learns more than what she probably hoped for as revolutionary praxis is debated amongst the workers themselves. At the center of the debate is labor leader Ka Dencio whose proletarian countenance is played ever so convincingly by Tony Santos. Back in the convent, Stella’s appeal to be officially transferred to the community was denied.

Ka Dencio will eventually be abducted and slain by armed men after being turned in by a comrade. As participants in the strike, Nick and Stella would share part of Ka Dencio’s burden but will live to tell the tale and struggle. Prior to this, Stella would already be tormented by the death Gigi comported to herself and her unborn child. The tragic deaths and the circumstances surrounding it are among the turning points and crossroads which the film is rife with. In the Venice Film Festival, the film was shown under its original title Sangandaan (Crossroads). Until now, the movie theme song of the same title is sung by activists, mostly from petty-bourgeoise origins like Stella.

The Philippine title is said to be adopted by Regal as a scheme to solicit the interest of the same audience of sex flicks the production house is wont to produce on those days. But the box-office performance of the film proved that the scheme went in vain. Vilma Santos guiltlessly remembers it as a commercial flop when it shared playdate with the Sharon Cuneta blockbuster Bukas Luluhod ang Mga Tala. “Pinaluhod talaga kami” she adds jokingly.

Critics would later on absolve the film from its huge commercial defeat. The Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino bestowed it with all major awards except production design. Other awards were given by the Film Academy of the Philippines, Star Awards, and Famas. It will also be named one of the most important Filipino films and Mike de Leon one of the most important Filipino filmmakers. The creative team which include scriptwriter Pete Lacaba, Cesar Hernando, Rody Lacap, and Ding Achacoso continues to chart illustrious careers in the creative industry to date.

As a modest tribute to Sister Stella L., the UP Film Institute is holding a special anniversary screening of the film on March 20 at the Cine Adarna at 5 p.m. Dubbed “Sister Stella L. @ 25: Tuloy ang Pakikibaka,” the activity is organized by the Film 280 class in cooperation with the Vilma Santos Solid International, Inc. Film scholars, members of entertainment press and cast and crew of the film will serve as panelists in the forum to be held before the screening.

The activity is a deliberate attempt to show the striking and continuing relevance of the film 25 years after it was shown. After two people uprisings which saw the likes of Sister Stella stopping tanks on the street and toppling despotic regimes, the social landscape fictionalized in the film remains a concrete reality. Workers go on strike for the same reasons the generations before them did so. Labor leaders and militants like Ka Dencio continue to march towards tragic deaths as they fight for their rights. In light of these facts, the film continues to inspire love among people and thrusts them into crossroads where important life decisions are inevitably made.