Jaehwa Bernardo

A still from the restored version of the 1984 political film 'Sister Stella L.' Photo from the website of Il Cinema Ritrovato

Article (news)

Restored 'Sister Stella L' to screen at Italian festival

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1781508503572SISTER STELLA L.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>A still from the restored version of the 1984 political film &#x27;Sister Stella L.&#x27; Photo from the website of Il Cinema Ritrovato</div>(UPDATED) The political drama film &quot;Sister Stella L&quot; has been restored and is set to premiere at the Il Cinema Ritrovato in Bologna, Italy later this month.Now celebrating its 40th anniversary, Il Cinema Ritrovato is widely regarded as the premier festival for restored classics.The film, which originally premiered in 1984, will screen on June 21 under its international title &quot;Sangandaan,&quot; according to a program on the festival&#x27;s website.It was restored in 4K by the Philippine Film Archive (PFA) at the L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratory, according to the festival&#x27;s website.In a statement, Leo Katigbak of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), which oversees the PFA, said discussions on restoring the film date back to 2012 starting with ABS-CBN’s Sagip Pelikula program but failed to move forward for various reasons, including disagreements over the restoration&#x27;s commercial terms.Discussions were started again in 2019 and early 2024, this time with the FDCP.“The film reels which came from the [Philippine Information Agency], were brought to Paris where the restoration was scheduled to be carried out by Cite de Memoire,&quot; Katigbak told ABS-CBN News.&quot;[Director] Mike de Leon had agreed to supervise the restoration but preferred that it be done in Ritrovata where several of his previous films had been restored. The prints were then shipped from Paris to Bologna,&quot; he recalled.Katigbak explained that the film with the title &quot;Sangandaan&quot; — the one that will premiere in Italy — was &quot;the director’s version where Mike funded the additional restoration for the deleted scenes which have been reinstated.&quot;Meanwhile, &quot;Sister Stella L&quot; refers to the Philippine release version, which was edited by the censors.&quot;This is also the last of his (De Leon) movies that has been restored and it is with great honor that we present it here in the 40th edition of Il Cinema Ritrovato,&quot; Katigbak added.Based on the story of <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/life/11/26/21/real-life-sister-stella-l-passes-away-at-78">Sr. Mary Rosario &quot;Chayong&quot; Battung</a>, &quot;Sister Stella L&quot; — directed by Mike de Leon and starring Vilma Santos in the title role — follows a Catholic nun who works with urban poor laborers in their fight against injustice.The film is also available for viewing on the YouTube channel of Regal Entertainment.The festival also has a scheduled dialogue titled &quot;In Memory of Mike de Leon&quot; on June 23, with Katigbak among the participants.Lino Brocka&#x27;s &quot;Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang&quot; is also set to screen at the festival, based on its program.

The political drama film 'Sister Stella L' has been restored and is set to premiere at a film festival in Bologna, Italy.

The political drama film 'Sister Stella L' has been restored and is set to premiere at a film festival in Bologna, Italy.

Restored 'Sister Stella L' to screen at prestigious Italian festival

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Restored 'Sister Stella L' to screen at prestigious Italian festival

Jaehwa Bernardo,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 15, 2026 03:41 PM PHT

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Updated June 15, 2026 07:57 PM PHT

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Sister Stella L

film restoration

Il Cinema Ritrovato

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