Biopic reintroduces female revolutionary hero

THIS YEAR, new life will be breathed into the untold story of the Mother of the Philippine Revolution — in the form of a “docufiction” film, Lakambini Gregoria de Jesus, that was 12 years in the making.

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Known as the Lakambini ng Katipunan, or muse of the Katipunan, Gregoria de Jesus is finally front and center in her own, narrative. The film follows a slew of revolutionary era biopics centered on male heroes like Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Aguinaldo, Gregorio del Pilar, and Antonio Luna.

“Ang dami nang pelikula na iba’t iba ang anggulo, at mapapaisip tayo kung ano ang totoo (There have been so many films with different angles, that make us reflect on what is the truth),” the film’s director Arjanmar Rebeta told BusinessWorld at the sidelines of a press conference in Quezon City.

Gregoria de Jesus married Andres Bonifacio, the Supremo of the Katipunan and President of the Revolutionary Government, and played a major role in the revolution against Spain. After Bonifacio was killed, she married musician, composer, and general of the revolution, Julio Nakpil.

The film blends interviews and anecdotes from descendants, historians, and artists with an unfinished biographical movie first shot in 2015. This makes the film a “meta docufiction,” which is a safer bet for portraying historical truth compared to “fictionalized heroes,” according to Mr, Rebeta.