Lav Diaz
Lavrente Indico Diaz (born December 30, 1958) is a Filipino filmmaker and former film critic.[1] He is known as one of the key members of the slow cinema movement, having made several of the longest narrative films on record. Although he had been making films since the late 1990s, Diaz didn't attract much public attention outside of the Philippines and the festival circuit until the release of his 2013 film Norte, the End of History, which was entered into the Un Certain Regard section of the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. His three subsequent films have received much critical attention and many awards, with 2014's From What Is Before earning him the Golden Leopard at the 2014 Locarno International Film Festival as well as a nomination for the Asian Film Award for Best Director, 2016's A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery competing for the Golden Bear at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival and winning the Alfred Bauer Prize, and 2016's The Woman Who Left competing at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival and winning the Golden Lion. His penultimate film (so far), Season of the Devil, competed at the 68th Berlin International Film Festival and it won Best Film (Gems Section) at the Cartagena Film Festival.
Lav Diaz | |
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![]() Diaz in 2016 | |
Born | Lavrente Indico Diaz December 30, 1958 Datu Paglas, Cotabato, Philippines |
Occupation | Filmmaker |
Notable work | Evolution of a Filipino Family Heremias (Book One: The Legend of the Lizard Princess) Death in the Land of Encantos Century of Birthing A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery From What is Before |
Life and career
He has won several international awards such as the award for Best Picture at the Singapore International Film Festival, the Independent Film Festival of Brussels and Gawad Urian in 2002 and Netpac Jury Prize and Best Acting Ensemble (2001 Cinemanila International Film Festival) for his film Batang West Side (including Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Music, Best Sound at the Urian), in Gawad Urian in 2005 for the film Ebolusyon ng Isang Pamilyang Pilipino (Evolution of a Filipino Family), and Special Jury Prize at the Fribourg International Film Festival in 2006 for Heremias, Book One.
His films often tackle the issues regarding the current social and political state of the Philippines. His film Kagadanan sa Banwaan ning mga Engkanto (Death in the Land of Encantos), the Closing Film of the orizzonti section of the Venice Film Festival 2007, was awarded with a Golden Lion Special Mention. Death in the Land of Encantos was also in competition at the Artistic Innovation Award (Visions) of the Toronto International Film Festival 2007. He received several awards at the Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature. His film Melancholia won the Orizzonti Grand Prize at the 65th Venice International Film Festival in 2008. In January 2011 he joined the board of directors for Cine Foundation International.[2]
He went back in 2011 at the Venice International Film Festival for his film Siglo ng Pagluluwal (Century of Birthing)[3] and which earned the Grand Jury Prize at the 13th Cinemanila International Film Festival. The following year, his film Florentina Hubaldo, CTE won Best Asian Film at the Jeonju International Film Festival[4] and gained the On-Screen Award at the Images Festival.[5]
His 2013 film Norte, the End of History was screened in the Un Certain Regard section of the 66th Cannes Film Festival.[6] He received the Golden Leopard at the 2014 Locarno International Film Festival for From What Is Before. At the 2016 Berlin International Film Festival, his film A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery was awarded the Silver Bear Alfred Bauer Prize. In the same year, he also received the Golden Lion at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival for The Woman Who Left.
Diaz has made crime stories, ghost stories and a musical. On the topic of genre Diaz has said, "it’s nice to dwell on genres because there are formulas there and you can work with them. But at the same time you’re free to break them."[7]
Diaz has an economics degree from Notre Dame University in Cotabato City.
He is a recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship in 2010, the Prince Claus Award of the Netherlands in 2014 and The Radcliffe Fellowship of Harvard University, 2016-2017.
Diaz was invited by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to join as a member on July 2017.
Filmography
Title | Year | Functioned as | Notes | Ref(s) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Director | Writer | Editor | Producer | Cinematographer | ||||
Mabuting Kaibigan, Masamang Kaaway | 1991 | Yes | Written with Tony Mortel, Jose Bartolome, and Manny Buising | |||||
Galvez: Hanggang sa Dulo ng Mundo Hahanapin Kita | 1993 | Yes | Written with Henry Nadong | |||||
Serafin Geronimo: Kriminal ng Baryo Concepcion | 1998 | Yes | Yes | Also known as The Criminal of Barrio Concepcion Directorial debut |
[8] | |||
Burger Boys | 1999 | Yes | [9] | |||||
Hubad sa Ilalim ng Buwan | 1999 | Yes | Yes | Also known as Naked Under the Moon | [10] | |||
Batang West Side | 2001 | Yes | Yes | Also known as West Side Avenue | [11] | |||
Hesus, Rebolusyunaryo | 2002 | Yes | Yes | [9] | ||||
Ebolusyon ng Isang Pamilyang Pilipino | 2004 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also known as Evolution of a Filipino Family | [12] | |
Heremias | 2006 | Yes | Yes | |||||
Kagadanan Sa Banwaan Ning Mga Engkanto | 2007 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also known as Death in the Land of Encantos | [13] |
Melancholia | 2008 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | [14] | |
Walang Alaala ang mga Paru-Paro | 2009 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also known as Butterflies Have No Memories Short film |
[15] | |
Babae ng Hangin | 2011 | Yes | Also known as Woman of the Wind Incomplete |
|||||
Siglo ng Pagluluwal | 2011 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also known as Century of Birthing Also film composer |
[16] |
Elehiya sa Dumalaw Mula sa Himagsikan | 2011 | Yes | Yes | Also known as Elegy to the Visitor from the Revolution | [17] | |||
Florentina Hubaldo, CTE | 2012 | Yes | Yes | [18] | ||||
Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan | 2013 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also known as Norte, the End of History Written with Rody Vera |
[19] | |
Mula sa Kung Ano ang Noon | 2014 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also known as From What Is Before | [19] |
Mga Anak ng Unos: Unang Aklat | 2014 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also known as Storm Children: Book One Documentary film |
[20] | ||
Fragment | 2015 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | "Ang Araw Bago ang Wakas..." segment, also known as The Day Before the End | [21] |
Hele sa Hiwagang Hapis | 2016 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also known as A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery | [22] | |
Ang Babaeng Humayo | 2016 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also known as The Woman Who Left | [23] |
Season of the Devil | 2018 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also film composer | |||
Lakbayan | 2018 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also known as Journey "Hugaw/Dirt" segment |
[24] | |
The Halt | 2019 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | [25] | |
Servando Magdamag | 2020 | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Adapted by Ricky Lee from his own short story. | |
When The Waves Are Gone | 2021 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
References
- Diaz, Lav (September 19, 1988). "Talagang nakakatakot". Manila Standard (in Filipino). Manila Standard News, Inc. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
- Cinefoundation.org Archived 7 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine
- Jennings, Sheri (18 August 2011). "Venice Orizzonti adds Lav Diaz's Century of Birthing". Screen Daily. Media Business Insight Limited. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
- Hwang, Hei-rim (8 May 2012). "Jeonju International Film Festival award winners announced". Korean Cinema Today. KOFIC. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
- "Images Festival Award Winners". Images Festival. Tucows Domains Inc. Archived from the original on 2 January 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
- "2013 Official Selection". Cannes. 30 April 2013. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
- Cronk, Jordan (2018-03-26). "Berlin Interview: Lav Diaz". Film Comment. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
- Grenier, Pascal (15 September 2016). "3 Films by Lav Diaz". Cinetalk.net. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
- Tioseco, Alexis A. (30 January 2006). "A Conversation with Lav Diaz". Criticine. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
- Cockrell, Eddie (8 May 2000). "Review: Naked Under the Moon". Variety. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
- Scheib, Ronnie (31 July 2002). "Review: Batang West Side". Variety. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
- Koehler, Robert (28 September 2004). "Review: Evolution of a Filipino Family". Variety. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
- Scheib, Ronnie (2 October 2007). "Review: Death in the Land of Encantos". Variety. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
- Scheib, Ronnie (29 September 2008). "Review: Melancholia". Variety. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
- "Butterflies Have No Memories". filmaffinity.com. Film Affinity. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
- Koehler, Robert (2 October 2011). "Review: Century of Birthing". Variety. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
- Cruz, Oggs (11 September 2011). "Elegy to the Visitor from the Revolution". Screen Anarchy. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
- "Day 5 – Florentina Hubaldo, CTE (Diaz)". The Art of Slow Cinema. 5 December 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
- Chang, Justin (5 September 2014). "Film Review: From What Is Before". Variety. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
- Tsui, Clarence (19 January 2015). "Storm Children, Book One (Mga Anak ng Unos, Unang Aklat): Rotterdam Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
- "Ang Araw Bago ang Wakas". viennale.at. Vienna International Film Festival. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
- Lodge, Guy (9 September 2016). "Berlin Film Review: A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery". Variety. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
- Lodge, Guy (9 September 2016). "Film Review: The Woman Who Left". Variety. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
- Tsui, Clarence. "'Lakbayan': Film Review | Tokyo 2018". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
- Romney, Jonathan (24 May 2019). "'The Halt': Cannes Review". Screen Daily. Media Business Insight Limited. Retrieved 22 July 2019.