Lav Diaz’s 8-hour ‘Hele sa Hiwagang Hapis’ opens on Black Saturday in PH

PIOLO Pascual (left) and John Lloyd Cruz in Lav Diaz’s “Hele sa Hiwagang Hapis”

(UPDATED) Are you ready to get your brain molecules rearranged?

The much-talked about eight-hour opus of renegade iconic filmmaker Lav Diaz, “Hele sa Hiwagang Hapis (Lullabye for Sorrowful Mystery)” finally has a play date for its Philippine premiere.

Various online sources recently posted March 26, Black Saturday, as the opening day for “Hele” in select cinemas nationwide. In Metro Manila, the movie houses mentioned include Glorietta, Trinoma, Market! Market!, Greenhills, SM North Edsa, SM Megamall, SM Fairview, SM City Manila, SM Mega Center, Robinsons Metro East, Robinsons Galleria and at the new Cinemateque Centre Manila on Kalaw Avenue (the former Instituto Cervantes de Manila).

As proposed by Diaz, it was reported there will be a break every three hours. The ticket price is yet to be announced.

“Hele” recently won a major award, the Silver Alfred Bauer Award in the 2016 Berlinale  or the 66th Berlin International Film Festival.

The festival jury president, Hollywood star and living film legend Meryl Streep, described the experience as something that “rearranged the molecules in her brain”.

READ: Lav Diaz’s 8-hour film ‘Hele’ wins Alfred Bauer Prize in Berlin

Critics hail it as “superb” and “a personal test of courage.”

In return, co-producer Bianca Balbuena praised the Berlinale for allowing the film to be shown in competition for the main prize despite its length.

“The Berlinale gave us the freedom, they didn’t ask us to cut down the length of the film,” she said in an earlier interview.

READ: Weary crowd cheers Lav Diaz 8-hour epic

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE/ Cinema Bravo infographics by Jonell B. Estillore

It was reported earlier how inquisitive Streep and jury member Clive Owen were in the after-party event, asking questions to Diaz, musical director Erwin Romulo, actors John Lloyd Cruz, Piolo Pascual, Angel Aquino, Cherie Gil, Bernardo Bernardo, Susan Africa, among others.

READ: Meryl Streep and Clive Owen Impressed by Lav Diaz’s New Film 

In the Philippines for the first time popular, TV talk show host and top commercial endorser Boy Abunda interviewed Diaz in his late-night talk show, together with the film’s co-producer Paul Soriano. Close observers said it’s rare for Abunda to feature someone as “anti-showbiz” like the punk director Diaz.

Soriano said what prompted him to produce a Lav Diaz film was because of what he actually heard about Diaz in international film festivals. “He has a cult following and they talk about him as if he’s a legend. And after working with him, I found out it’s true.”

Abunda asked Diaz about his and the crew members’ close encounter with the Academy Award winning veteran actress.

“She told me she would like to watch it again, probably when “Hele” is shown in Los Angeles or New York,” Diaz told Abunda, who promised to see “Hele” in local cinemas.

Star Cinema is the official distributor of “Hele”.

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE/Cinema Bravo photo by Nazamel Tabares