‘Habang Nilalamon ng Hydra ang Kasaysayan’ hits cinemas June 3, tackles 2022 election aftermath

Cinemalaya film starring Zanjoe Marudo, Mylene Dizon, Jojit Lorenzo and Dolly de Leon explores disinformation, grief, and political divide in post-election Philippines.

For many Filipinos still haunted by the emotional aftermath of the 2022 elections, one Cinemalaya film is finally making its long-awaited leap to mainstream theaters.

“Habang Nilalamon ng Hydra ang Kasaysayan,” the acclaimed independent film by director Dustin Celestino, is officially opening in cinemas nationwide on June 3 after first premiering at the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival 2025.

Also known internationally as “As The Hydra Devours History,” the award-winning film dives into the emotional and psychological collapse experienced by four Filipinos following the defeat of their presidential candidate during the 2022 Philippine elections — a moment that deeply polarized the country and triggered widespread conversations about disinformation, truth, and political fatigue.

The ensemble cast includes Jojit Lorenzo as Kiko, a disillusioned political strategist; Dolly de Leon, as Kiko’s wife Bea, a history professor struggling to teach a nation that seems eager to forget its past; 

Zanjoe Marudo as David, a speechwriter trapped in the lies he once tried to resist; and Mylene Dizon, as Mela, an election lawyer confronting painful family secrets.

At the center of “Habang Nilalamon ng Hydra ang Kasaysayan” is the mythical Greek creature that grows two heads every time one is cut off — a metaphor Celestino uses to represent disinformation, corruption, and the persistent distortion of history in modern society.

In previous interviews, Celestino described “Habang Nilalamon ng Hydra ang Kasaysayan” as a “love letter” to Filipinos who lost hope after the elections, particularly supporters of former Vice President Leni Robredo. He said the film hopes to remind audiences that doing good still carries meaning despite political despair.

The official trailer, released earlier this month, has reignited online discussions among moviegoers and politically engaged Filipinos eager to revisit the emotions and questions left behind by one of the country’s most divisive elections.

 

 

At the center of ‘Habang Nilalamon ng Hydra ang Kasaysayan’ is the mythical Greek creature that grows two heads every time one is cut off — a metaphor director Dustin Celestino uses to represent disinformation, corruption, and the persistent distortion of history in modern society.

 

 

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