(L-R) Angel Aquino, Therese Malvar, and director Sigrid Bernardo during a Q&A after a screening of "Ang Huling Cha Cha ni Anita," June 3, 2025 in Kamuning. Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News

MANILA -- A dozen years after her first feature film, director Sigrid Bernardo still feels overwhelmed when she sees how audiences respond to "Ang Huling Cha Cha ni Anita."

Released in 2013, starring Angel Aquino and Therese Malvar, "Ang Huling Cha Cha ni Anita" has become a landmark work in the canon of Philippine queer cinema. Malvar, then only 12 years old, shines as Anita -- a gangly, prepubescent girl who falls hopelessly in love with the older Pilar (Aquino), who is returning to their town after many years abroad.

Some 30 or so people packed the cozy space of Basta Cafe in Kamuning on Tuesday night to watch a special screening of the movie -- a fitting start to the venue's Pride Month activities. Afterward, Bernardo, Aquino and Malvar sat down for a brief Q&A, along with Veronica Reyes and Elora Españo -- the stars of Bernardo's short film "May at Nila," which was screened ahead of the full-length feature.

"Hindi ko rin naman in-expect na sobrang patok pa rin ang mga jokes," Bernardo said, when asked how she believes the audience would respond if "Huling Cha Cha" had been released in 2025, instead of 2013. 

"Sa totoo lang, mas doon pa ako concerned. Baka ako na lang ang natatawa dito," she added.

Indeed, the jokes still landed: the cafe was filled with laughter particularly during the scenes involving Anita and her childhood best friends, Carmen and Goying. The fantasy sequences involving Aquino as Pilar also drew plenty of giggles -- as well as nods and sighs of understanding.

It wasn't only the film's humor that aged well. Its overarching themes of first love and coming of age, family ties and the struggles of womanhood, childhood friendships and even religious devotion -- Bernardo rightly points out that her movie talks of universal concepts.

"It talks about love pa rin," she said. "It just so happened na dalawang babae."

"So, I will be more surprised if ngayon, biglang uncomfortable pa when someone is watching this," she added. "That means, kailangan pa nating gumawa nang gumawa or mas ipakita pa sana itong film para mas maintindihan pa ng lahat ng mga tao."

FILM-MAKING JOURNEY

After "Huling Cha Cha," Bernardo went on to direct films such as "Kita Kita" in 2017, which became the highest-grossing Philippine independent film. She also has "UnTrue," "Walang Kaparis," and "Pushcart Tales" in her filmography; in 2024, she wrote and directed "Under Parallel Skies," starring Kapamilya actress Janella Salvador and Thai actor Win Metawin.

Yet Bernardo still finds herself going back to "Ang Huling Cha Cha ni Anita." Even after gaining success, she still recalls with great clarity how much of a struggle it was to get her first film made: Bernardo had written the script for "Huling Cha Cha" in 2006, and it would take eight years for it to be produced. The movie would not have a commercial run until 2017, four years after its premiere.

The movie was initially given an "X" rating by MTRCB, which meant that it would not be allowed to be shown to the public. It was only after a re-evaluation that they received an R-16 rating, paving the way for "Huling Cha Cha" to be shown on screens.

"Ang laki ng journey. Part siya ng life ko, literally, and part siya ng filmmaking journey ko," she said. "I always go back to 'Ang Huling Cha-Cha ni Anita,' kung ano 'yung pinagmulan nang kung bakit ako andito sa industriya na 'to."

It's considered a classic of Philippine sapphic media now, but Bernardo remembers when "Huling Cha Cha" could barely fill a cinema.

"Ang pinakamarami ko is 12 people -- lahat 'yun kamag-anak ko," she told ABS-CBN News. 

"Meron doon na nag-iisa na nanonood noon na hindi ko kamaganak, hindi ko friend, bumili siya talaga ng ticket," she added. "And then, she came up to me, telling me na she was crying, she was really touched by the film."

"Parang sa akin, 'yun 'yung true definition why I am in this industry and still telling stories. It's really to touch at least one person doon -- okay na ako doon."

OTHER SAPPHIC WORKS

Bernardo says she doesn't like to dwell on titles, but she does accept that she is a trailblazer of sorts. After "Huling Cha Cha," she added more works to the canon of Philippine sapphic media with the short film "May at Nila" and the web series "Lulu." Right now, she is working on another "girls love" movie -- "I Fell, It's Fine," starring Rhian Ramos and Glaiza de Castro of "RaStro" fame.

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However, it frustrates Bernardo that even now, in 2025 -- more than a decade after "Ang Huling Cha Cha ni Anita" -- the library of sapphic works in Philippine media remains quite thin.

"Fine, ako na 'yung nag-start. Ang tanda ko na eh," she said. "I mean, hindi naman sa matanda. Ibig sabihin, come on, guys. I was hoping na after may nag-jumpstart, tuloy-tuloy na."

This is not to say that there were no works that followed "Huling Cha Cha." Samantha Lee has written and directed a treasure trove of sapphic media, including the films "Baka Bukas" and "Rookie;" the latter won the Audience Award in the 2023 Cinemalaya while its lead, first-time actress Pat Tingjuy, won Best Actress honors.

READ: Why audience award 'matters most' for 'Rookie' director Samantha Lee

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There are also plenty of short films exploring sapphic love, including Bernardo's own "May at Nila," along with some web series (e.g., Pearl Next Door; Sleep With Me; BetCin) or stand-alone episodes (e.g., Stand-in Love) that have gone viral within the community. Music videos are also increasingly featuring GL themes; Salvador, for instance, premiered the MV of her single "Hey You" at last year's Pride March, wherein she reunited with her Darna co-star Jane de Leon. 

But what Bernardo had hoped for was not a trickle, but a steady stream. 

"Parang, ano ba 'to, tumatandang pabaliktad? Paurong. Parang ganoon 'yung nangyayari sa cinema," said Bernardo. "Which is weird because ang dami nang out. Out in the open, not only in the film industry. Ang dami na eh, mas woke na ngayon, mas tanggap."

"So the more na dapat mas maraming pelikula about it. So it also -- yes, to be honest, it frustrates me."

She also notes that most of the movies are short films or independent films, which limits their exposure to the general public. 

"Aminin naman natin, 'pag indie, andoon ka lang sa kung saan man ipapalabas 'yan. Sa Gateway, doon ka lang sa festival na 'yun. Kapag doon sa Cinamalaya, doon ka lang sa CCP eh," she said.

"Kayo-kayo lang ang nakakaalam -- tayo-tayo. Eh okay na naman na tayo," Bernardo added. "Kailangan natin makatawid sa mga tao. Mas ikwento ng mas malawak, hindi 'yung tayo-tayo lang; 'yun ang important."

THE MAINSTREAM GOAL

It's with this frustration in mind that Bernardo came to a conclusion -- she cannot stop telling stories of women loving women. A dozen years after "Ang Huling Cha Cha ni Anita," she knows that there is work to do to bring these stories beyond the sapphic community and into the mainstream.

Through "I Fell, It's Fine," Bernardo hopes to take a big step towards that goal. Ramos and de Castro gained a devoted following through "The Rich Man's Daughter" in 2015 -- another groundbreaking work of sapphic media in the Philippines. Ten years after the show, they will reunite in a movie that Bernardo says she is "very excited" about.

"It's a very light GL film," she said. "I'm very excited for both of them, kasi grabe 'yung chemistry nila. To be honest, hindi ako nahirapan. Hindi ako nahirapan sa chemistry ng RaStro."

"So, excited ako, even ako kinikilig sa kanila. And I think 'yun ang important, lalo na sa director. Na kapag kinilig ka kaagad sa artista mo, kahit papaano half of your job is done already, parang ganoon siya," she added.

The movie is still in principal photography, but Bernardo is hopeful that there will be a theatrical run for "I Fell, It's Fine" -- a departure from other "GL" movies that had brief runs in film festivals.

"Parang wala pa na GL film na ime-mainstream. We have indies, of course … but something na mainstream," said Bernardo. "I hope na pumatok."

Bernardo's dream is that the great excitement that she sees from RaStro fans will translate to the box office and spread further, even beyond the queer community. This, says the veteran director, is a key step to getting more of these stories, because they need to show producers that there is an appetite for sapphic media in the mainstream.

"I just hope that our community, you know, when it comes na magkaroon ng pelikula na about this kind of films, sana suportahan natin. Because doon lang magkakaroon ng courage ang producers," Bernardo explained. "Kasi business pa rin 'yan eh."

"Wala naman silang ng pakialam kung GL, BL 'yan eh, as long as kumikita. So, in order for us to make more films about women, or about queer family, dapat suportahan talaga siya, kasi andoon talaga siya. Andoon 'yung bottom line eh -- kailangan kumita siya," she stressed.

If her new movie achieves this goal, Bernardo can reconcile the conflict she has run into as a writer and director -- the desire to create more stories such as "Ang Huling Cha Cha ni Anita," and the knowledge that she is, after all, in a business. 

"I want to tell more stories," she told the crowd at Basta Cafe. "'Yun ang pumapasok lagi sa utak ko. Eto 'yung mga kwentong gusto kong i-kwento. Kaso Sigrid, 'yung mga gusto mong ikwento, hindi kikita. May ganoon."

"Kaya kailangan kong pumunta muna sa iba, pero hindi ko dapat kalimutan kung ano 'yung pinagmulan ko," Bernardo added. "Kaya ako bumabalik. Kapag meron nang nagtiwala sa'kin na producer, baka naman, ipasok mo naman 'yung isang passion project."

"So dapat, hindi sana mawala 'yun."