Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival presents to you “Meet the Filmmakers”. This episode features the film “Sisa” and its director Jun Robles Lana, in conversation with Massimo Iannetti.
Tune in to find answers to some fascinating questions, such as:
1. What did it mean to you to bring “Sisa” to PÖFF?
2. What personal impulse or historical curiosity led you to focus on this particular period in Philippine history for the film?
3. The film explores sisterhood and rebellion within a community of women. As a male director, how did you work with the cast to create a shared, collective process?
“Sisa” presents the viewer with the wounded and occupied Philippines in 1902, a time when the war has officially ended but violence continues. The villages are filled with widows, among whom walks Sisa, a woman who hides a secret: she is a spy. Sisa begins to lead a quiet rebellion, gathering around her women like herself who have been pushed to the margins of society.
Jun Robles Lana, a regular guest at PÖFF, says the festival already feels like a second home to him. He first made a strong mark in Tallinn in 2019, when he won the Best Director Award for “Kalel, 15.” Since then, his films “Big Night!” (2021) and “Your Mother's Son” (2023) have also been selected for PÖFF’s competition programmes. Lana is the youngest Filipino to be inducted into the Palanca Hall of Fame – the country’s most prestigious literary award, often compared to the Pulitzer Prize. His debut independent film “Bwakaw” was the Philippines’ official submission for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 2012 Oscars.
Read more about the film:
https://poff.ee/en/film/sisa/
PÖFF TV is a special online festival channel to supplement the film programme, to share the emotions and meanings of the film world and exclusive interviews with festival guests.
PÖFF TV is brought to you by Ruum:um, Photopoint and Co-funded by the European Union.
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Tallinna Pimedate Ööde filmifestival toob teieni saate “Meet the Filmmakers“. Seekord on peaosas lühifilm “Sisa“ ja produtsent Jun Robles Lana, kellega vestles Massimo Iannetti.
Kuula kaasa ja saad vastused muuhulgas järgmistele põnevatele küsimustele:
1. Mida tähendas sinu jaoks tuua “Sisa” PÖFFile?
2. Milline isiklik impulss või ajalooline huvi pani sind uurima just seda konkreetset ajajärku Filipiinide ajaloost?
3. Üks olulisi teemasid filmis on naiste kogukond ja vastupanu. Kuidas töötasid meessoost režissöörina põhiliselt naistest koosneva kollektiiviga?
“Sisa” toob vaatajani haavatud ja okupeeritud Filipiinid aastal 1902, kui sõda on küll lõppenud, kuid vägivald jätkub. Külad on täis lesknaisi, kelle vahel kõnnib Sisa, kes varjab saladust: ta on spioon. Sisa hakkab juhtima vaikset mässu, kogudes kokku endasuguseid naisi, kes on tõrjutud ühiskonna äärealale.
PÖFFil juba mitmendat korda osalev Jun Robles Lana ütleb, et tema jaoks on filmifestivalist saanud juba teine kodu. 2019. aastal lahkus ta Tallinnast ka parima režissööri auhinnaga oma filmi “Kalel (15)” eest. Veel on PÖFFi võistlusprogrammides osalenud ka tema filmid “Viimane võimalus” (2021) ja “Sinu ema poeg” (2023). Jun Robles Lana on noorim filipiinlane, kelle nimi on lisatud Palanca kirjandusauhinna kuulsuste halli – auhind, mida peetakse Filipiinide Pulitzeriks. Tema esimese sõltumatu filmi “Bwakaw” esitasid Filipiinid 2012. aastal parima mitteingliskeelse filmi Oscari kandidaadiks.
Loe veel filmi kohta:
https://poff.ee/film/sisa/
Lisaks filmifestivali filmiprogrammile linastub internetis PÖFF TV kanal, mis toob teieni eksklusiivsed intervjuud filmitegijatega ja aitab avada filmimaailma telgitaguseid.
PÖFF TV toob teieni Ruum:um, Photopoint ning kaasrahastab Euroopa Liit.
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival presents to you “Meet the Filmmakers”. This episode features the film “Sisa” and its director Jun Robles Lana, in conversation with Massimo Iannetti.
Tune in to find answers to some fascinating questions, such as:
1. What did it mean to you to bring “Sisa” to PÖFF?
2. What personal impulse or historical curiosity led you to focus on this particular period in Philippine history for the film?
3. The film explores sisterhood and rebellion within a community of women. As a male director, how did you work with the cast to create a shared, collective process?
“Sisa” presents the viewer with the wounded and occupied Philippines in 1902, a time when the war has officially ended but violence continues. The villages are filled with widows, among whom walks Sisa, a woman who hides a secret: she is a spy. Sisa begins to lead a quiet rebellion, gathering around her women like herself who have been pushed to the margins of society.
Jun Robles Lana, a regular guest at PÖFF, says the festival already feels like a second home to him. He first made a strong mark in Tallinn in 2019, when he won the Best Director Award for “Kalel, 15.” Since then, his films “Big Night!” (2021) and “Your Mother's Son” (2023) have also been selected for PÖFF’s competition programmes. Lana is the youngest Filipino to be inducted into the Palanca Hall of Fame – the country’s most prestigious literary award, often compared to the Pulitzer Prize. His debut independent film “Bwakaw” was the Philippines’ official submission for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 2012 Oscars.
Read more about the film:
https://poff.ee/en/film/sisa/
PÖFF TV is a special online festival channel to supplement the film programme, to share the emotions and meanings of the film world and exclusive interviews with festival guests.
PÖFF TV is brought to you by Ruum:um, Photopoint and Co-funded by the European Union.
---
Tallinna Pimedate Ööde filmifestival toob teieni saate “Meet the Filmmakers“. Seekord on peaosas lühifilm “Sisa“ ja produtsent Jun Robles Lana, kellega vestles Massimo Iannetti.
Kuula kaasa ja saad vastused muuhulgas järgmistele põnevatele küsimustele:
1. Mida tähendas sinu jaoks tuua “Sisa” PÖFFile?
2. Milline isiklik impulss või ajalooline huvi pani sind uurima just seda konkreetset ajajärku Filipiinide ajaloost?
3. Üks olulisi teemasid filmis on naiste kogukond ja vastupanu. Kuidas töötasid meessoost režissöörina põhiliselt naistest koosneva kollektiiviga?
“Sisa” toob vaatajani haavatud ja okupeeritud Filipiinid aastal 1902, kui sõda on küll lõppenud, kuid vägivald jätkub. Külad on täis lesknaisi, kelle vahel kõnnib Sisa, kes varjab saladust: ta on spioon. Sisa hakkab juhtima vaikset mässu, kogudes kokku endasuguseid naisi, kes on tõrjutud ühiskonna äärealale.
PÖFFil juba mitmendat korda osalev Jun Robles Lana ütleb, et tema jaoks on filmifestivalist saanud juba teine kodu. 2019. aastal lahkus ta Tallinnast ka parima režissööri auhinnaga oma filmi “Kalel (15)” eest. Veel on PÖFFi võistlusprogrammides osalenud ka tema filmid “Viimane võimalus” (2021) ja “Sinu ema poeg” (2023). Jun Robles Lana on noorim filipiinlane, kelle nimi on lisatud Palanca kirjandusauhinna kuulsuste halli – auhind, mida peetakse Filipiinide Pulitzeriks. Tema esimese sõltumatu filmi “Bwakaw” esitasid Filipiinid 2012. aastal parima mitteingliskeelse filmi Oscari kandidaadiks.
Loe veel filmi kohta:
https://poff.ee/film/sisa/
Lisaks filmifestivali filmiprogrammile linastub internetis PÖFF TV kanal, mis toob teieni eksklusiivsed intervjuud filmitegijatega ja aitab avada filmimaailma telgitaguseid.
PÖFF TV toob teieni Ruum:um, Photopoint ning kaasrahastab Euroopa Liit.
