Sarah is a debt collector who lives among the inhabitants of the village of Guimbal on the island of Panay. She wants to find the young man who appeared to her in a dream and goes to the island of Negros. Here, as she interacts with the inhabitants, Sarah continues her search, gathering memories of life and war, dreams, myths, legends, songs and stories that she takes part in and at times revolve around her. She is the daughter of an ancient mermaid, a revolutionary, a primordial element, a virgin who was kidnapped and hidden away from the sunlight. “The film is a retelling of fragments of the American occupation. Dialogue, shot in the Hiligaynon language, is not translated but used as a tonal guide and a tool for narration. Using unscripted scenes shot where the main character was asked to merely interact with the villagers, I discard dialogue and draw meaning from peoples’ faces, voices, and actions, weaving an entirely different story through the use of subtitles and inter-titles.”
Unfortunately the movie Refrains Happen Like Revolutions in a Song is not yet available on HBO Max.
| Directing | John Torres | Director |
| Writing | John Torres | Screenplay |
| Production | John Torres | Producer |
| Crew | John Torres | Cinematography |
| Crew | Sherad Anthony Sanchez | Cinematography |
| Crew | Oscar Nava | Cinematography |
| Crew | Martha Atienza | Cinematography |
| Sound | Teresa Barrozo | Music |
| Art | Martha Atienza | Production Design |
| Art | Shireen Seno | Production Design |
