Lav Diaz

Directing

Lav Diaz

Born December 30, 1958 · Columbio, Sultan Kudarat, Philippines (age 67)

Lavrente 'Lav' Indico Diaz (born December 30, 1958) is a Filipino independent filmmaker and former film critic. He is known as one of the key practitioners of the slow cinema genre, producing a diverse range of some of the longest narrative films that explore social and political issues, minimalistic storytelling, long takes, and cinematic form. Although he had been making films since the late 19…

Known For

The Woman Who LeftThe Woman Who Left · 2016
The Woman Who Left
6.92016
MovieDrama
After three decades' wrongful incarceration for murder, a woman discovers that her friend and fellow inmate committed the murder of which she was accused. This leads to her release and subsequent discovery of the man who framed her — her ruling class ex-lover.
Venice 70: Future ReloadedVenice 70: Future Reloaded · 2013
Venice 70: Future Reloaded
5.02013
MovieDramaDocumentary
Made for the Venice Film Festival's 70th anniversary, seventy filmmakers made a short film between 60 and 90 seconds long on their interpretation of the future of cinema.
MagellanMagellan · 2025
Magellan
6.42025
MovieHistoryAdventure
At the dawn of the modern era, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan leads an expedition under the Spanish crown in search of the first westward route to the Spice Islands. He embarks on a perilous journey across the uncharted Pacific, where his fleet faces starvation, mutiny, and the psychological toll of endless seas. Upon reaching the shores of Cebu, Magellan is pulled into a fatal conflict with the natives by his drive to spread Catholicism, culminating in his tragic doom.
Wake (Subic)Wake (Subic) · 2015
Wake (Subic)
6.02015
MovieDocumentary
First begun in 2006, WAKE (SUBIC) completes the documentary diptych, FOR EXAMPLE, THE PHILIPPINES, the first part of which, VAPOR TRAIL (CLARK) was released in 2010. Collectively this nine-hour essay explores circumstances of toxic contamination around the former US military bases in the Philippines as the locus for a meditation on historical amnesia, colonial privilege, and the consequences of unchecked militarism. Interweaving both cinéma-vérité and interview footage of Filipino victims and their families, environmental spokespersons, and community activists, along with early photographic material pertaining to the Philippine-American War, partisan songs, historical texts, and landscape photography, both films are an attempt to construct a work capable of rendering some measure of this human and environmental tragedy and the complexities of its remedy.
Schirkoa: In Lies We TrustSchirkoa: In Lies We Trust · 2024
Schirkoa: In Lies We Trust
5.72024
MovieAnimationFantasy
In a sophisticated near perfect society, citizens live with paper bags on heads to dissolve differences. Tensions rise when the whispers of a mythical land without the bags start to float and a fresh council member sparks an accidental revolution.
Del MundoDel Mundo · 2025
Del Mundo
2025
Movie
This biographical documentary honors Doy del Mundo’s lifelong devotion to education, film, and public service; his pioneering role in shaping Philippine film education; and his enduring impact on institutions and generations he helped build and uplift.
MelancholiaMelancholia · 2008
Melancholia
7.22008
MovieDrama
Three people start a strange therapy to escape their agonies. Each attempts to process those they lost during the Marcos dictatorship while examining their own grief.
LilyLily · 2016
Lily
5.02016
MovieDrama
Stories abound in Cebu about a woman rumored to be a murderous monster, but behind the myth is a mother seeking justice.

Filmography

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Wake (Subic)Wake (Subic) · 2015
Wake (Subic)
6.02015
MovieDocumentary
First begun in 2006, WAKE (SUBIC) completes the documentary diptych, FOR EXAMPLE, THE PHILIPPINES, the first part of which, VAPOR TRAIL (CLARK) was released in 2010. Collectively this nine-hour essay explores circumstances of toxic contamination around the former US military bases in the Philippines as the locus for a meditation on historical amnesia, colonial privilege, and the consequences of unchecked militarism. Interweaving both cinéma-vérité and interview footage of Filipino victims and their families, environmental spokespersons, and community activists, along with early photographic material pertaining to the Philippine-American War, partisan songs, historical texts, and landscape photography, both films are an attempt to construct a work capable of rendering some measure of this human and environmental tragedy and the complexities of its remedy.

Music