Icons Only: Our Favorite Hilda Koronel Movie Roles
The word “legend” gets thrown around a lot these days. But it’s a word that can aptly be used to describe Hilda Koronel. Since the ‘70s, the award-winning actress has lit up the silver screen as one of Philippine cinema’s best performers. She’s known to be selective of her roles, but that’s only because she gives each character she portrays her 100%. The fact that she won her first FAMAS award when she was just 13 years old in Lino Brocka’s Santiago! should tell you as much.
No matter the decade, she has shone on screen with dozens of projects under her belt, some of which have gone on to become seminal works in Philippine history. And following a 13-year hiatus from the industry after she moved to the US, Hilda Koronel is back to acting once more with her long-awaited comeback in Jun Robles Lana’s Sisa, which tells the story of a Filipina spy during the Filipino-American War. Below, we’ve listed some of our favorite movie performances from the screen icon.
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Evangeline Ortega in Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang
One of Lino Brocka’s most important movies, Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang stars Christopher De Leon (in his debut role) as Junior, while Hilda Koronel plays his girlfriend Evangeline. Set in a small town, the film follows Junior as his biases and beliefs are tested after he forms a friendship with Kuala, who is branded as the local idiot, and witnesses how badly she is mistreated by the townsfolk.
For a film that was released more than five decades ago, the movie still finds its place today in its relevant themes of ostracizing people who are deemed different and abuse of power. It also showed that even in a supporting role, Hilda Koronel can help bring any project to life with her presence.
Ligaya Paraiso in Maynila Sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag
One of the best Filipino movies ever made, this Lino Brocka masterpiece is an adaptation of Edgardo M. Reyes’ seminal novel. In it, we follow Júlio Madiaga, a young man from Marinduque in search of his lover Ligaya. This leads him to Manila, where he comes face to face with the fate of Ligaya and the harsh realities of life in the capital during Martial Law. Tackling themes of poverty, crime, and broken dreams, the movie is a groundbreaking body of work made better by Hilda Koronel’s tender yet heartbreaking portrayal of Ligaya. We watch her story unfold as she travels to Manila in search of a better life, only to be abused by the powers that be.
Insiang in Insiang
Hilda Koronel and Lino Brocka were a match made in heaven. It was through his movies that she became a bona fide movie star. Among the films they worked on, Insiang is one of their best collaborations and an early example of feminist local cinema. The actress plays the titular Insiang, a young woman living in the slums with her family. As hard as her life already is, it gets even worse when she is abused by her mother’s lover.
When she brings this up with her mother, instead of coming to her aid, she resents Insiang for it. This then pushes her to seek revenge on the people who wronged her. Making history as the first Philippine film to be shown at the Cannes Film Festival, the movie showcases Hilda Koronel in some of her finest work in a multi-dimensional performance of a young woman who slowly evolves as she begins to reclaim her life from a series of tragedies.
Ana in Kung Mangarap Ka’t Magising
Hilda Koronel and Mike de Leon team up once more in this coming-of-age romantic drama from Mike de Leon. Following a chance encounter, Joey and Ana spark a friendship that turns romantic but is complicated by the personal issues they are dealing with. Hilda Koronel delivers a strong performance as Ana, as viewers learn more about the conflicting feelings that stop her from fully committing to being with Joey. Ultimately, the movie serves as a tender reminder that people come into our lives for a reason and that they still serve a purpose even if they move on.
Celine in Tanging Yaman
This modern classic revolves around three siblings, Danny, Art, and Grace, and their mother, Lola Loleng, who reunite to resolve a property dispute in their family. But because this is a Filipino family drama with religious undertones, nothing is as simple as it seems. Here, Hilda Koronel portrays Celine, the wife of Danny, who serves as his rock and source of strength during the family’s time of conflict and division. As part of the 26th Metro Manila Film Festival in 2000, the movie was a critical and commercial hit, winning a slew of awards, including Best Picture.
Aling Doray/Rhoda Rivera in Crying Ladies
Given Hilda Koronel’s status as a movie star, it feels fitting that she plays an actress in this award-winning film, though unlike her character of Aling Doray, Hilda Koronel is far from a B-list star. In this comedic drama, we follow Stella, Aling Doray, and Choleng, three women from different backgrounds who are hired as professional funeral mourners by a wealthy Chinese-Filipino family in Chinatown, hence the film’s title Crying Ladies.
Working alongside Sharon Cuneta and Angel Aquino, Hilda Koronel delivers a memorable performance here of a waning actress past her prime but who still has more to give. The role earned her praise from critics, including nominations from FAMAS and Gawad Urian and a win for Best Supporting Actress in MMFF 2003, where the movie also won Best Picture.
Trining in Nasaan Ka Man
This movie stars Claudine Barretto, Jericho Rosales, and Diether Ocampo, who at the time were seen as some of the top young dramatic actors of the industry. So, it’s a sign of Hilda Koronel’s talents that she gives a powerful performance in a film filled with strong performances. It centers on three adopted children, Pilar, Joven, and Ito, with Hilda Koronel playing Lilia, one of the two sisters who raised the children.
Appropriately set in a foggy Baguio, the film slowly unfurls its dark secrets to reveal a truly unique Filipino movie that combines elements from romance, drama, horror, and thriller. In a narrative as twisted and thought-provoking as this, Lilia serves as a calming presence and a motherly figure to it all, which is no wonder the role won Hilda Koronel Best Supporting Actress accolades from Gawad Urian and the LUNA awards and a FAMAS nomination.
The post Icons Only: Our Favorite Hilda Koronel Movie Roles first appeared on MEGA.
Icons Only: Our Favorite Hilda Koronel Movie Roles
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