Lav Diaz

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From What is Before (Philippines)

From What is Before Film Difficulty Ranking: 5

This is Lav Diaz. He’s one of torch bearers of the slow film movement having made some of the longest cinematic films. In From What is Before he documents the history of a small rural town in the Philippines during Marcos’ rule. Like Gabriel Garcia’s Macondo, this small town serves as a metaphor for the entire country. As a result, this is your chance to experience contemporary Filipino history.

Here’s a little snippet courtesy of the Toronto International Film Festival. It shows you exactly what slow cinema is like – are you patient enough to try it?

Why Watch From What is Before?
  • You want to one of the best examples of Slow Film there is!
  • To truly immerse yourself in the recent history of the Philippines
  • Witness how fear can undermine a community
  • For your chance to see the beautiful Filipino countryside in monochrome
The Breakdown

“This story is a memory of my country”

The film starts with a beautiful black and white shot of the Filipino countryside. You can see the fields of corn, tall hills in the distance, and a small shack in the foreground. This is the rural Philippines in 1970.

From the outset you can tell this is a slow film. You can tell because the camera rarely moves, each of the shots lasts for at least 2 minutes, and there is very little dialogue. Contrast this with the 5 second shot length in Hollywood films, and a load of action and dialogue, and you’ll understand why this is called slow film.

The length of From What is Before allows Lav Diaz (the director) to properly show us the gradual growth of fear in the rural town he examines. You’ll meet all the people of the town before the first signs of Marcos’ martial law start appearing around the 3 hour mark. Then you’ll see how the military rule slowly undermines the community through fear.

Conclusion

For an exploration into the power of fear in undermining unity, this film is a masterclass. Watch as Marcos’ martial law slowly envelops a small town in the Filipino country.

For more Slow film try the following:

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An Investigation On the Night that Won’t Forget

Investigation on the Night that won’t Forget Film Difficulty Ranking: 5

Image result for an investigation on a night that wont forget

Lav Diaz is always a challenge to watch, so don’t start watching this on a first date. He is the master of slow-cinema, so expect long takes (55 minutes to be precise) and silence. I’d recommend checking out the more Filipino Elegy to the Visitor of the Revolution or even the 7 hour Melancholia before this one. In contrast, Investigation on the Night that Won’t Forget is a documentary centring on Erwin’s story.

Why Watch this Film?
  • For another film from the master of slow-cinema – Lav Diaz
  • It’s an exploration of spontaneous storytelling and cinema’s role in documenting memory
  • There’s a very poetic and cinematic prayer to end the film
  • Hear about the struggle against Filipino bureaucracy and politics
The Breakdown

This film opens with the title card: “Part 1: Cradle of Memory”. Erwin sits uncomfortably in a chair in the middle of a small office, framed by a door frame. There are many books piled on his desk as he starts to tell us the story of two of his friends who were murdered in their own home.

The interview is shot in one long 55 minute take. He speaks in a mixture of English and Tagalog, often switching between the two mid-sentence. He pauses every once in a while as he either tries to remember details or to reflect. Erwin is not interrupted for the whole take. We hear all of the story that his memory can recount. He actually states that “it’s good that we are recording as my memory is failing,” emphasising that we only hear what he can remember.

Lav Diaz uses one long take to show the fragility and spontaneity of memory. One minute Erwin is confident in what he says, only to recount the same detail as he remembers more. Erwin’s natural, spontaneous narrative, is evidence that every source is limited. We do not doubt anything he says, but his many corrections and pauses indicate that his memory may have forgotten some details. Lav Diaz presents film as an answer, as he documents Erwin’s story to protect it from further decay.

Conclusion

Lav Diaz’s slow films are a challenge to watch, and this one proves to be no exception. However, where there is a challenge, there is often a reward. In this case, it is a chance to explore memory and narrative; how events are remembered and how they can be reconstructed from the depths of the mind.

 

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What is Slow Film and Why You Should Care?

Film Root’s Introduction to Slow Film

Image result for slow cinema

Watching slow cinema is a completely different experience to binge-watching your favourite TV show. When you’re binge-watching TV you can just sit in your seat and let the TV tell you a story. In contrast, when you’re watching slow film you have to do more.

Slow film is pretty much another art form within the world of film. So I’ve tried to help you understand what it is and why you should care in our first Film Root film introduction to slow film right here.