Lav Diaz

Lavrente Indico Diaz (born December 30, 1958) is a Filipino filmmaker, actor, and former film critic. He is known as one of the key names of the slow cinema genre, directing a diverse range of long narrative films that explore social and political issues in Philippines, with minimalist storytelling and long takes. Diaz made his feature directorial debut with Serafin Geronimo: Ang Kriminal ng baryo Concepcion, released in 1998. Initially making low budget films within the Philippine studio system, he first came into prominence with Batang West Side (2001) and Evolution of a Filipino Family (2004), which both feature long running times that have become part of his cinematic trademark. His work garnered international acclaim with Norte, the End of History (2013), which was entered into the Un Certain Regard section of the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. Diaz received further accolades with From What Is Before (2014), A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery (2016), and The Woman Who Left (2016). He is a recipient of 2018's FAMAS Lifetime Achievement Award and 2021's Natatanging Gawad Urian (Gawad Urian Lifetime Achievement Award). Diaz's latest film, Magellan (2025), was his second film to be submitted to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, after Norte, the End of History.