First Light, a religious thriller starring Ruby Ruiz and Maricel Soriano, will screen in select cinemas nationwide on June 24.
Set against the backdrop of Metro Manila and the countryside of Rizal, First Light follows Ruiz’s Sister Yolanda, an elderly nun who has dedicated her life to serving the church. When a construction worker’s mysterious death shakes the townspeople, the good sister finds herself coming face-to-face with questions of faith, power, and the lingering presence of the country’s former colonizers.
The film’s trailer, released in anticipation of its Philippine debut, reveals little about the storyline’s details. It features the quiet, enclosed lives of Yolanda and her fellow sisters, along with flashes of what threats lie ahead for the convent. “Ano ba ‘yung maliit na sakripisyo para sa maraming makikinabang na mga tao?” Soriano’s Linda Dela Cruz, a local aristocrat, implores Sister Yolanda.
A directorial debut from Filipino-Australian filmmaker and photographer James J. Robinson, First Light does not shy away from diving deep into the Philippines’ complicated history, one that has been colored by the faiths and beliefs of the colonial powers that once controlled it.
“What I personally hoped from making the film,” Robinson told Rolling Stone Philippines, “was to… separate Catholicism from the institution and politics, to find a way to be compassionate for the core teachings while still being hypercritical of the people that co-opt religion for personal gain. I think the more that audiences question where the heart of a religion ends and the politics around it begins is extremely important to be doing in 2026.”
