Lav Diaz

Lavrente Indico Diaz (born December 30, 1958) is a Filipino independent filmmaker and former film critic. He is frequently known as one of the key members of the slow cinema movement, and has made several of the longest narrative films on record. Diaz is one of the most critically acclaimed contemporary Filipino filmmakers.

Diaz started making films in the late 1990s. His first international exposure was at the Hong Kong International Film Festival in 1999 with his directorial debut Serafin Geronimo: Ang Kriminal ng Baryo Concepcion (The Criminal of Barrio Concepcion). The Hong Kong event went on to present his next two features: Naked Under the Moon in 2000 and Batang West Side in 2001. European film festivals only caught on with Norte, the End of History (2013), which was entered into the Un Certain Regard section of the 2013 Cannes Film Festival and received much critical praise.

Diaz's subsequent films have likewise received positive critical attention and many awards. From What Is Before (2014) won the Golden Leopard at the 2014 Locarno International Film Festival; A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery (2016) competed for the Golden Bear at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival and won the Alfred Bauer Prize (Silver Bear); and The Woman Who Left (2016) competed at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival and won the Golden Lion. He received the FAMAS Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018. He is the recipient of 2021's Natatanging Gawad Urian (Gawad Urian Lifetime Achievement Award).

Early Life
Diaz was born in Columbio, Cotabato. His childhood was marked by the violent conflicts between Muslim armed groups and the Philippine government. Due to the dangerous situation, his family moved to the more peaceful town of Tacurong where he finished his high school education. Diaz graduated in 1980 with an economics degree from Notre Dame University in Cotabato City.

Career
Diaz went to Manila where began doing odd jobs for various publications and took up writing about music and film for a living. Then, he became a production assistant for Balintataw. For a time, he wrote comics as part of the editorial staff for Ang Masa and We Forum.

Diaz worked as a critic for the Manila Standard newspaper in the late 1980s before moving to New York City to study filmmaking. His Filipino-language short story, "Pula, Puti at Saka Blu at Marami Pang Kolor" (lit. 'Red, White and Also Blue and Many Other Colors'), which he wrote under the pseudonym Bahagharing Timog (lit. 'Southern Rainbow'), won 2nd place at the 1990 Palanca Awards under the category of Short Story - Filipino.

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 was three Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature recognitions (a second place (1990) and an honorable mention (1991) for short stories, and third place (1997) for screenplay). 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.

He went back in 2011 at the Venice International Film Festival for his film Siglo ng Pagluluwal (Century of Birthing) 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 and gained the On-Screen Award at the Images Festival.

His 2013 film Norte, the End of History was screened in the Un Certain Regard section of the 66th Cannes Film Festival. 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."

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 in July 2017. Diaz presented his latest film, Essential Truths of the Lake, a sequel to When the Waves Are Gone, at the 2023 Locarno Film Festival out of competition.

Political views
In December 2023, alongside 50 other filmmakers, Diaz signed an open letter published in Libération demanding a ceasefire and an end to the killing of civilians amid the 2023 Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, and for a humanitarian corridor into Gaza to be established for humanitarian aid, and the release of hostages.

Further publications

 * Diaz, Lav. Batang West Side, Edition Filmmuseum, 2-disc set, 2022 Österreichisches Filmmuseum
 * Guarneri, Michael. Conversations with Lav Diaz. Piretti - Bologna - 2021
 * Corinne Maury, Olivier Zuchuat (dir.), Lav Diaz : faire face, Paris, Post Editions, 2022, 365 p.