Cover National Artist for Film Ishmael Bernal (Photo: courtesy of Star Cinema)
National Artist for Film Ishmael Bernal (Photo: courtesy of Star Cinema)
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Each of Ishmael Bernal’s films carries its own imprint of truth and artistry, and together they chart the journey of a director who never shied away from society’s most difficult questions
Every so often, a storyteller emerges who does not merely mirror society but dares to probe its shadows, its contradictions and its deepest desires. In Philippine cinema, that storyteller was Ishmael Bernal. Born September 30, his legacy reminds us that film can be more than spectacle; it can be truth, poetry and provocation. Bernal, named National Artist for Film in 2001, remains one of the country’s most revered visionaries, whose works continue to challenge, inspire and captivate.
What distinguished Bernal was his courage to wrestle with the complexities of the Filipino condition. He was never content to offer easy narratives or neat resolutions. Instead, his films were layered explorations of faith and folly, of love and sacrifice, of survival in a world rife with inequity. Each work reflected his unflinching gaze upon society, wrapped in storytelling that was as poignant as it was provocative.
To celebrate his legacy, we look back at five films that capture the breadth of his artistry and his fearless storytelling.
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‘Nunal sa Tubig’ (1976)
Above ‘Nunal sa Tubig‘ starring Elizabeth Oropeza, Daria Ramirez and George Estregan (Photo: ClickTheCity)
‘Nunal sa Tubig‘ starring Elizabeth Oropeza, Daria Ramirez and George Estregan (Photo: ClickTheCity)
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This film marked an early glimpse into his poetic sensibility. Set in a fishing village, it transformed a simple tale of survival into a meditation on human fragility and the inevitability of change. The powerful plot hinted at the director’s gift for allegory and his ability to capture the rhythms of life with tenderness and clarity.
‘Manila by Night’ (1980)
Above ‘Manila by Night‘ starring Gina Alajar, Alma Moreno and Lorna Tolentino (Photo: IMDb)
‘Manila by Night‘ starring Gina Alajar, Alma Moreno and Lorna Tolentino (Photo: IMDb)
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Perhaps his most audacious work. Manila by Night was both a portrait and an indictment of the capital, depicting intersecting lives in the city’s underbelly. Through its ensemble of characters—sex workers, addicts, dreamers—Bernal exposed Manila as vibrant yet fractured, hopeful yet deeply scarred. Initially banned for its candour, the film has since become a landmark in Philippine cinema, its rawness still electrifying decades later.
‘Himala’ (1982)
Above ‘Himala‘ starring Nora Aunor (Photo: Rotten Tomatoes)
‘Himala‘ starring Nora Aunor (Photo: Rotten Tomatoes)
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With this film, Bernal delivered a masterpiece that transcended its time. Starring National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Nora Aunor as Elsa became a defining moment in film history.
Set against a barren landscape, the story of mass hysteria and blind devotion raised questions that remain urgent today. Faith, exploitation and the human yearning for deliverance—Bernal approached them with restraint and power, leaving audiences haunted by the silence of his conclusion.
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‘Relasyon’ (1982)
Above ‘Relasyon’ starring Vilma Santos and Christopher De Leon (Photo: Philippine Film Archive)
‘Relasyon’ starring Vilma Santos and Christopher De Leon (Photo: Philippine Film Archive)
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Bernal also excelled in intimate dramas, capturing the quiet battles of the heart with Relasyon. Starring Vilma Santos, the film is a story of a woman entangled in a relationship with a married man. Beyond its surface, the film unravelled the sacrifices women are often expected to make, and the unequal burdens love can place upon them. It was deeply human, and profoundly empathetic.
‘Hinugot sa Langit’ (1985)
Above ‘Hinugot sa Langit’ starring Maricel Soriano (Photo: Letterboxd)
‘Hinugot sa Langit’ starring Maricel Soriano (Photo: Letterboxd)
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His courage was perhaps most evident in Hinugot sa Langit, a film that tackled abortion in a society steeped in religious and moral conservatism. With subtlety and sensitivity, Bernal traced a woman’s painful decision, transforming it into a wider reflection on judgment, hypocrisy and choice. Few filmmakers of his time would have dared such a subject, yet Bernal never shied away from the conversations that mattered most.
Ishmael Bernal’s cinema was not made for complacency. It was cinema that unsettled, questioned and demanded reflection. His genius lay not only in craft but in conviction: the belief that film must hold a mirror to society, however unflattering the reflection may be.
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Christofer Palentino tells stories the way a digital marketer reads a campaign report: seeking patterns, turning points and the human truths hidden behind the numbers. A digital marketing professional with a keen eye for analytics, he fuses data-driven insight with creative vision to capture moments that define the cultural pulse.
His niche spans the spectrum of pop culture—music, film and fashion—anything that shapes and reflects the zeitgeist. For him, every trend has a story, and every story has a strategy.
Connect with him on Instagram @_chrspl or at christofer@tatlerphilippines.com
