Charo Santos (right) in “Ang Babaeng Humayo”
Lav Diaz’s “Ang Babaeng Humayo,” which was released in the United States last year by Kino Lorber, landed on Criterioncast.com’s Top 10 Best Films of 2017 list.
Drafted by critic Joshua Brunsting, the lineup comprises films culled from “one hell of a … chaotic” year. Brunsting points out that as “the world becomes more divided, cinema from around the world is slowly evolving the language with which we [can] communicate on a global level.”
The critic praises the Filipino director’s Venice-winning film as “a devastating, profound and moving portrait of a woman in crisis, trying to keep her head above water as she comes to grips with the world she left and the one she’s entering back into.”
Brunsting notes that the “nearly four-hour” movie is “told in Diaz’s patented long, static takes.” It is “a dense but unforgettable piece of work from arguably the greatest Filipino filmmaker of all time.” He also praises the “black-and-white photography [as] stark and noir-influenced, and the performances [as] uniformly superlative.”
The reviewer exclaims: “Don’t turn away due to the long runtime. Embrace it, and embrace one of the great films of 2017.” Diaz describes this latest accolade as “humbling.”
“Nakakapagpakumbaba siya,” Diaz wrote in an e-mail from the United States. “Katuwang nito’y napakalaking hamon pang muli para sa hinaharap, lalo pa’t nasusuong tayo sa kakaibang mga pagsubok, salimuot at agam-agam.”
Agnes Varda (left) and Lav Diaz in Locarno —PHOTO BY HAZEL ORENCIO
Diaz agreed with Brunsting that these are “challenging” times, indeed. “Sa isang banda’y hinahamon ang papel ng estetika sa kultural na pakikibaka. May saysay pa ba ang cinema? May gamit pa ba ang pangkalahatang uniberso ng sining?”
He asserted that film, and art in general, remains vital—especially now in this era when truth is confronted by lies.
“Sa kalooban ko, oo, mas sumidhi pa ngayon ang pakikibaka lalo pa’t napakaliwanag kung nasaan ang isang mahalagang punto ng sigwa—ang kamatayan ng katotohanan … o sabihin na natin, sa mas magaang na talastas—ang tahasang paniniil sa katotohanan. Ngayon, higit kailanman, lalo pang naging mahalaga ang tinatawag na engagement sa sining.”
Now, more than ever, is the time to get involved in the struggle for a free cinema, a free culture, he remarked.
Interestingly, revered French filmmaker Agnes Varda is also on the honor roll for “Faces Places.” In 2014, Diaz met Varda at the Locarno fest, where he won the top prize for “Mula sa Kung Ano ang Noon.”
Also included on the Citerioncast.com roster are Terence Davies’ “A Quiet Passion,” Sean Baker’s “The Florida Project,” Olivier Assayas’ “Personal Shopper” and Eduardo Williams’ “The Human Surge.”
Williams’ Argentinean movie was shown in last year’s Spanish Film Fest in Manila and features Filipino actor Chai Fonacier in the cast, along with performers from Argentina and Mozambique.