My Mother Said (Kuna Ni Nanang)

Directed by Jessica Sison

In this day and age, when everything is documented and even cell phones have cameras, one woman has no souvenirs or photos of her beloved mother.
Meet Elena Bautista, 99 years…YOUNG.

In film school, Jessica Sison decided to rebel against the stereotypes placed on Asian-American females by making a parody of Hong Kong action films as well as an homage to Jean-Luc Godard.
Since then she has worked as a producer, director and editor specializing in documentaries and narrative films based on true events. Her diverse work has screened in film festivals all over the world, including Tribeca, Slamdance, and SXSW; and her broadcast work has been shown on Showtime, PBS, the Oxygen Channel, the WB, and The Filipino Channel.
In 2007, she made her documentary directorial debut with the award-winning “My Mother Said (Kuna Ni Nanang)” about her 99-year-old grandmother.

Jessica is editing and co-producing “Manilatown Manang” about the last woman to leave the International Hotel during the forced eviction on August 4, 1977.

Plays in

Shorts Program III: Scenes from Home

Scenes from Home takes us to the familiar but often complicated dynamic within our own households or homeland.

Dates & Times

Theater 13, AMC Theater Plaza Bonita, Westfield

October 11, 2025
11:00 am