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History of Ha

History of Ha (Filipino: Historya ni Ha) is a 2021 Filipino drama film written and directed by , starring in the lead role as Hernando Alamada, a celebrated performer and ventriloquist who was formerly involved with the communist insurgency. Set primarily in 1957 amid the post-war era's political and social upheavals in the , the narrative follows Alamada's final performance tour aboard the cruise ship, where he grapples with personal despair, absurd delusions, and a quest for redemption alongside companions including a , a sex worker, and a young boy. Diaz's film, clocking in at approximately four hours, serves as an allegorical examination of Filipino collective history, intertwining individual loss and artistic purpose with broader themes of national trauma and resilience, drawing from the director's signature style of and historical introspection. While praised for its profound exploration of existential and political motifs, it has elicited mixed responses for its deliberate pacing and episodic structure, reflecting Diaz's oeuvre of challenging, non-commercial independent cinema.

Synopsis and Narrative

Plot Summary

History of Ha is set in , shortly after the death of Philippine President on March 17, 1957, and centers on Hernando , a celebrated Filipino (bodabil) performer who previously fought as a cadre in the socialist against postwar Philippine authorities. is depicted fulfilling the concluding performances of his tour aboard the repurposed Mayflower, sailing from toward with a diverse group of emigrants seeking opportunities in . He travels with his wife Selya, their young son Berto, and his protégé , blending routines with the vessel's mundane voyage amid the era's post-independence aspirations and lingering insurgent tensions. While en route, Alamada receives a telegram announcing the of his father, the iconic figure Hernando R. Alamada, which catalyzes introspective flashbacks, hallucinations, and disclosures about his own insurgent past and family legacy. These revelations intersect with shipboard interactions, including encounters with fellow passengers and crew, exposing undercurrents of personal loss, ideological disillusionment, and societal shifts in mid-20th-century . The narrative unfolds as a , probing themes of memory and reinvention against the backdrop of , political upheaval, and cultural performance traditions. The film's structure emphasizes Alamada's psychological unraveling and redemptive arc, culminating in choices that redefine his trajectory and reflect broader Filipino historical reckonings, though delivered through Lav Diaz's characteristic long takes and minimalist dialogue rather than linear exposition.

Key Characters and Performances

The protagonist, Hernando Alamada, is a ventriloquist and bodabil performer who uses his dummy Ha as a mouthpiece for communication after personal heartbreak, reflecting his past as a former Huk insurgent and socialist cadre disillusioned by Philippine politics. Hernando's arc involves returning from an international tour aboard the cruise ship in 1957, attempting to settle in rural amid economic hardship and ideological shifts under President , before embarking on a redemptive marked by madness and reflection. John Lloyd Cruz portrays Hernando, delivering a performance noted for its emotional intensity and physical commitment, particularly in scenes of silent expression through the , which critics described as fully immersive despite the film's deliberate pacing. Sister Lorenza, a encountered during Hernando's wanderings, serves as a companion and moral counterpoint, embodying quiet faith amid the era's social upheavals, including and lingering . Mae Paner plays Lorenza, contributing a restrained presence that underscores themes of without overt dialogue, aligning with Lav Diaz's emphasis on subtle, observational . Supporting roles include Teroy Guzman and , who depict community figures in Hernando's hometown, highlighting interpersonal tensions rooted in class and ideology during the 1950s transition from to American-influenced . These performances collectively evoke the 's historical texture, with Cruz's lead anchoring the narrative's blend of personal despair and national .

Production

Development and Writing

Lav Diaz developed History of Ha (Historya ni Ha) as a tribute to Filipino bodabil, the tradition prominent in the mid-20th century. The screenplay originated from an earlier script titled Ta gsibol (Spring), which Diaz had gifted to filmmaker Hernando. Following Hernando's death in May 2019, Diaz substantially reworked the material, incorporating radical changes that diverged from the original version, including the introduction of the protagonist Hernando Alamada as a performer. Diaz, who wrote the final screenplay himself, set the story in 1957, the year following the plane crash death of Philippine President , to explore themes of national mourning and historical transition amid post-colonial recovery. commenced in July 2019 in Sibaltan, , utilizing a small crew that included film students, allowing for improvisational adjustments during production that further shaped the narrative. Diaz later edited , maintaining his signature approach to long-form storytelling, though at four hours and ten minutes, it represents a relatively concise work in his oeuvre.

Filming and Technical Details

History of Ha was primarily filmed on location in Sibaltan, , , chosen for its remote, undeveloped landscape that preserved a mid-20th-century aesthetic suitable for the 1957 setting. Principal photography commenced in 2019, allowing director to capture the film's extended sequences in natural environments with minimal modern intrusions. The production utilized cinematography to evoke the era's historical texture, a stylistic choice aligned with Diaz's frequent employment of to underscore thematic austerity and temporal dislocation. handled cinematography himself, employing long takes and static compositions characteristic of his approach, which emphasize environmental immersion over rapid . The film adheres to a 1.85:1 , framing the rural Philippine vistas and intimate character interactions with deliberate restraint. Technical specifications include a total runtime of 250 minutes (4 hours and 10 minutes), edited by Diaz to maintain narrative continuity across its episodic structure without conventional time compression. Produced under Sine Olivia Pilipinas, the shoot prioritized authenticity in period details, such as costuming and props, achieved through on-site fabrication rather than extensive effects.

Release and Distribution

Premiere and Festival Screenings

History of Ha had its world premiere at the 65th on October 12, 2021, where it was selected for the strand. The film was originally selected for the main competition of the 2020 but was postponed due to the . Following its debut, History of Ha screened at the 2021 QCinema International in the . It also appeared at the 32nd Singapore International (SGIFF) later that year. In November 2021, the film was featured at the Viennale in , . The film's European tour continued with its Greek premiere at the 12th from May 26 to June 15, 2022, attended by director . Additionally, it was presented at the (MIFF) in 2022. These screenings highlighted Diaz's reputation for long-form experimental cinema, with the 275-minute runtime drawing attention from international arthouse audiences.

Commercial Release

History of Ha lacked a widespread commercial theatrical release, consistent with the distribution patterns of Lav Diaz's extended-runtime arthouse works, which prioritize festival circuits and niche audiences over mainstream cinema runs. Instead, the film reached viewers through select independent and institutional screenings, such as its inclusion in the "Season of Lav" retrospective at the Spectacle Theater in , , in early 2023. In the , it screened at the Film Institute (UPFI) Film Center on May 2 and May 6, 2025, as part of National Heritage Month programming focused on . No earnings or broad distribution deals were reported, underscoring its status as a specialized release rather than a profit-oriented venture.

Themes and Analysis

Political and Historical Context

The (Huk) movement, originally formed in as a communist-led guerrilla force against occupation during , transitioned post-independence into a full-scale rebellion against the Philippine government starting in 1946, primarily driven by demands for in central Luzon's agrarian regions. Rooted in socioeconomic grievances exacerbated by wartime destruction and elite landlord dominance, the Huks controlled significant rural territories by 1950, employing tactics of ambushes and assassinations while receiving limited support from the Philippine (PKP). The uprising peaked amid tensions, with U.S. policymakers viewing it as a communist expansion threat akin to events in and , prompting American military advisory assistance to . By the early 1950s, under President (1953–1957), the rebellion was systematically dismantled through a combination of aggressive operations by the and Armed Forces, amnesty offers, and targeted land redistribution policies that addressed peasant grievances without wholesale expropriation. Magsaysay's administration, backed by U.S. aid exceeding $50 million annually by 1954, resettled over 100,000 farmers and neutralized key Huk leaders like , effectively ending organized resistance by 1954, though sporadic violence persisted into the late . This era marked a pivot toward U.S.-aligned in Philippine politics, with Magsaysay's popularity—bolstered by initiatives—contrasting the earlier administrations' and favoritism toward landlords under presidents and . The film's 1957 setting coincides with national upheaval following Magsaysay's fatal plane crash on March 17, 1957, which thrust Carlos P. García into office amid fears of political instability and renewed leftist agitation. García's pro-Asian and austerity measures sought to consolidate gains against , but underlying tensions from incomplete land reforms and economic disparities lingered, fostering disillusionment among former insurgents reintegrating into civilian life—mirroring the protagonist's trajectory as a ex-Huk cadre turned performer. Bodabil, the Filipino variant of influenced by American colonial entertainment, served as a cultural outlet in this period, blending satire and escapism amid postwar recovery, yet often critiqued societal hypocrisies including and cultural . This context underscores themes of ideological fracture and personal redemption in a grappling with the legacies of and neocolonial influences.

Stylistic Elements and Diaz's Approach

Lav Diaz employs his characteristic aesthetics in History of Ha, featuring extended long takes and minimalistic editing that prioritize contemplative pacing over rapid narrative progression. This approach manifests in prolonged sequences of everyday activities, such as characters eating or conversing in rural settings, which underscore the film's meditative rhythm and contrast with the frenetic pace of modern media. The 250-minute runtime, though shorter than many of Diaz's epics exceeding five hours, facilitates an immersive examination of mid-20th-century Philippine society, blending historical realism with surreal undertones centered on the ventriloquist Hernando Alamada and his . Cinematographically, the film utilizes black-and-white visuals to evoke the era's austerity and artistic heritage, particularly the bodabil tradition, while capturing the "breathtaking" irony of rural ' natural landscapes—towering groves and expansive fields—as backdrops for political intrigue and personal disillusionment. Diaz favors natural lighting and organic production methods, often relying on ambient sources like filtering through windows, supplemented minimally in low-light scenes, to maintain and avoid artificial contrivance. Diaz's directorial philosophy in the film adopts a dialectical method, balancing historical events—like the aftermath of Ramon Magsaysay's death—with imaginative elements, such as prophetic speeches and as metaphors for societal manipulation and artistic expression. This technique interrogates persistent themes of and , positioning bodabil not merely as cultural homage but as a lens for critiquing political greed and cultural amnesia in Filipino . By integrating and surreal adventure into a period drama, Diaz crafts an "expansive essay" on national imagination, challenging viewers to confront cyclical historical patterns through unhurried, observational storytelling rather than didactic exposition.

Reception and Critical Analysis

Reviews and Interpretations

Critics have lauded Lav Diaz's History of Ha for its exploration of mid-20th-century Philippine society through the lens of a ventriloquist's journey, with John Lloyd Cruz's dual portrayal of Hernando and his irreverent puppet receiving particular acclaim for its vocal precision and emotional depth in conveying inner turmoil and societal . The film's 250-minute runtime, shot in , incorporates elements and long takes characteristic of Diaz's , which reviewers describe as patient and precise, though some note it demands significant viewer commitment and lacks the visual dynamism of his prior works. Interpretations frequently position the puppet Ha as a symbolic extension of Alamada's , functioning as his to articulate suppressed political and personal grievances through humor and absurdity, blending bodabil performance with critiques of human folly and . Set against the 1957 backdrop of Ramon Magsaysay's fatal plane crash on March 17, the narrative is seen as dissecting the cyclical nature of Philippine , including the of savior figures and prophetic allusions to future strongmen from the north (evoking , who rose two decades later) and south (suggesting , emerging six decades on). This historical underscores themes of loss, redemption, and art's role in societal reflection, with Alamada's descent into madness and quest for meaning mirroring Diaz's own meditations on as a tool for historical reckoning and personal . Stylistically, Diaz employs static long shots of rural landscapes and minimal violence to evoke inescapable state cruelty and plutocratic neglect, as in scenes of armed inspections and Indigenous community speeches decrying nationalistic rhetoric's failure to protect the vulnerable. Reviewers interpret these choices as amplifying the film's black comedy and deadpan tone, transforming a surreal odyssey involving a nun, sex worker, and boy into a Rorschach-like examination of electoral myths and provincial abandonment. The work earned the Young Critics Circle's Best Film award for 2021 in the Philippines, affirming its resonance in local discourse on political greed and historical continuity.

Awards and Recognition

History of Ha earned acclaim from Philippine film critics and awards bodies, reflecting its status within independent cinema. The Young Critics Circle selected it as Best Film of 2021. At the 38th PMPC Star Awards for Movies held on July 16, 2023, the film received nine nominations, including for Indie Movie of the Year, and secured wins for Indie Movie Cinematographer of the Year (Lav Diaz) and Indie Movie Editor of the Year (Armando Lao and Peter Peralta). It garnered seven nominations at the 45th in 2022, among them Best Film (Pinakamahusay na Pelikula), Best Director (), Best Screenplay (), and Best Actor (). was nominated for Best Director for the film at the 2nd Pinoy Rebyu Awards in 2022.

Legacy and Controversies

Cultural Impact

History of Ha serves as a to bodabil, the Philippine tradition that flourished in the early 20th century, blending local , comedy, and social commentary with Western influences. Director explicitly framed the film as such, centering the narrative on a fictional vaudeville artist whose performances reflect broader cultural expressions of Filipino identity and critique. Through this lens, the film revives interest in bodabil's historical role as a populist art form that navigated colonial legacies and national aspirations, incorporating elements like to echo its performative style. The film's innovative use of —where the Hernando Alamada communicates profound political and existential truths via his Ha—has prompted analyses of as a for manipulated historical narratives and the persistence of mythmaking in society. Critics have noted how this device underscores cycles of idealized leadership and disillusionment, drawing parallels to post-World War II figures like , whose "savior" myth the film interrogates as a recurring pattern in Filipino politics. Set against the rural paradoxes of beauty and poverty in 1957 , it highlights enduring themes of amid , contributing to Diaz's oeuvre on national character without resolving into didacticism. By premiering at international festivals such as the in October 2021, History of Ha has extended Philippine cultural narratives to global audiences, fostering discourse on mid-20th-century history through arthouse . Its relatively concise runtime of 250 minutes, atypical for Diaz, has broadened accessibility within circles, while collaborations with mainstream talent like underscore indie film's potential to bridge commercial and experimental divides in local production. This positioning amplifies reflections on electoral folly and cultural self-deception, as voiced through the dummy's cynical barbs, encouraging viewers to confront unvarnished societal truths.

Debates on Representation and Politics

Critics have debated the film's allegorical representation of Philippine politics through the central motif of , where the comedian Hernando Alamada's dummy, , serves as a satirical stand-in for manipulated leaders and colonial legacies, portraying post-independence as a form of imposed performance akin to American influence under presidents like . This approach draws on historical traditions, including impersonations of political figures, to critique how cultural entertainment masked deeper power dynamics in 1950s rural , with some interpretations viewing it as a commentary on the persistence of plutocratic control over vulnerable communities. A focal point of contention is the film's prophetic elements, such as Jack Agawin's forecast of recurring "cycles of mythmaking" leading to savior-like leaders, and Among Kuyang's prediction of regional strongmen emerging two and six decades later—evident allusions to from the North and from the South—framed as ruthless dictators rooted in traditions yet enabling fascist . Reviewers argue this deterministic lens highlights empirical patterns of electoral behavior post-Magsaysay's death, where public grief fostered dependency on , but others question whether it undervalues individual agency in favor of a structurally fatalistic view of national history, potentially echoing Diaz's broader oeuvre of confronting and without proposing alternatives. Representation of marginalized groups, including rural figures, sex workers, and soldiers, has prompted analysis of the film's balance between historical and , with depictions of abuses like document inspections via gun tips underscoring causal links between political and everyday brutality, though some critiques note the minimal on-screen risks aestheticizing over empirical . Diaz's intent, as articulated in interviews, positions the work as a warning against and , privileging slow-cinema's capacity for unhurried causal examination of societal vulnerabilities amid power shifts.

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