Filipino film director Lav Diaz. AP file photo
MANILA, Philippines – Filipino filmmaker Lav Diaz is one of the 11 recipients of the Prince Claus Awards this year.
Diaz is recognized for his outstanding achievements in the field of culture and development. Based in the Netherlands, the Prince Claus Fund is a “worldwide platform for cultural exchange.”
This year’s honorees come from Chile, Guatemala, Indonesia, Nigeria, Turkey, Vietnam, Brazil, Peru and India. The principal awardee is Abel Rodriguez, a plant expert, artist and community elder from Colombia.
Diaz’s award comes with a cash prize of 25,000 euros (P1,417,912).
The honor was unexpected, said Diaz, and arrived quick on the heels of his victory at the Locarno International Film Festival (in Switzerland), where his latest work, “Mula sa Kung Ano ang Noon,” won the Golden Leopard (Best Picture) in August.
While he dedicated the Locarnio triumph to his father, Diaz offered the Prince Claus award to his mother. “It’s for my mother, for the motherland.”
Prince Claus organizers invited Diaz to the Netherlands, where the ceremony will be held at the Royal Palace Amsterdam, in the presence of the royal family on Dec. 10.
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