A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery | |
---|---|
Hele sa Hiwagang Hapis | |
Directed by | Lav Diaz |
Written by | Gian Anciro |
Produced by |
|
Starring | |
Cinematography | Larry Manda |
Edited by | Lav Diaz |
Music by |
|
Production companies |
|
Distributed by | Star Cinema |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 485 minutes [1] |
Countries |
|
Languages |
|
Box office | ₱4 million [2] |
A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery (Filipino : Hele sa Hiwagang Hapis) is a 2016 historical fantasy drama film directed by Lav Diaz. It was selected to compete for the Golden Bear at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival. [3] [4] At the film festival, it won the Alfred Bauer Prize (Silver Bear, 2nd Prize). [5] [6] The film was released on 26 March and was distributed by Star Cinema. [7]
The film received mixed reviews from critics, with criticism mostly directed towards its pacing and confusing narrative. [8] Guy Lodge of Variety states in his review that "A major disappointment from a major filmmaker, Diaz's latest super-sized tapestry of historical fact, folklore and cine-poetry is typically ambitious in its expressionism—but sees the helmer venturing into the kind of declamatory, didactic rhetoric that his recent stunners Norte, the End of History and From What Is Before so elegantly avoided." [9] Part of the Berlinale Jury citation, headed by Meryl Streep:"...for opening new perspectives in cinema." Screen Daily calls it as "...one of Lav Diaz's best works."
The scholar Noel Vera says:"Ah no--no. Hele sa Hiwagang Hapis is a gorgeous film that traces the outlines of the Philippine character, flaws and virtues and all, from the ferment of an end-of-the-century rebellion through four hundred years of colonial past down to ancient pagan roots. If every foreign critic hated it for its many flawed details (forgot to mention, some of the Spanish sounded stilted), its dialogue-heavy dramaturgy, its (ultimately irrelevant) length, none of this would matter. The film was made for us Filipinos, to fill our hunger for poetry and narrative and magic, to give us back a sense of our storied past, our mythical and historical dead." The Italian critic Giampiero Raganelli cites:"Eight hours of mesmeric black and white, eight hours of beauty."
“This expansive and richly detailed story is to the screen what ‘War and Peace’ is to literature. Tracing various character paths and threads throughout the Philippine Revolution of 1896-97, the embroidery on display through calculated measures that redefine patience weave urban legends, local traditions, real-life artistic expressions with the most sensitive chapter of Philippine history.” —Nikola Grozdanovic, Indiewire
“An ambitious statement by one of contemporary cinema’s authentic radicals.” — Screen Daily
“Certainly one of Diaz’s finest films.” — Cinema Scope
Jose Lorenzo "Pepe" Diokno is a Filipino film director, producer, and screenwriter. He received the Lion of the Future Award for Best Debut Film and the Orizzonti Prize at the 2009 Venice Film Festival, and was awarded Best Director at the 2023 Metro Manila Film Festival.
Shaina Garcia Magdayao is a Filipino actress. Known primarily for her dramatic roles in film and television, she began her career as a child actress and starred in her first titular role Lyra. She has received accolades from various award-giving bodies which include a FAMAS Award, a Metro Manila Film Festival Award, two Gawad Pasado Awards and a Young Critics Circle award, in addition to nominations from Gawad Urian and Luna Awards. Her works have also been competed in numerous film festivals around the world such as Cannes Film Festival, Busan International Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival, and Locarno International Film Festival.
Lavrente Indico Diaz is a Filipino independent filmmaker and former film critic. He is frequently known as one of the key members of the slow cinema movement, and has made several of the longest narrative films on record. Diaz is one of the most critically acclaimed contemporary Filipino filmmakers.
Kathryn Chandria Manuel Bernardo is a Filipino actress. She began her career as a child actress, portraying young versions of lead characters in series such as It Might Be You (2003) and Endless Love (2010). She gained prominence in the 2010 remake of Mara Clara and has since established herself as one of the most popular and successful actors of the 21st century in the Philippines.
Angelita Grace Velasquez Aquino is a Filipino actress, fashion model, and television personality. Prominent in independent films, she has also worked on television shows of varying genres, and is known for her versatility and adaptability in portraying protagonists and villains. She has received various accolades, including six Star Awards, two Golden Screen Awards, and a Gawad Urian.
Allen Dizon, is a Filipino actor, model and producer. A former member of the Viva Hot Men, Dizon has transitioned from his early years in daring roles to become an independent film actor and producer.
The 66th Berlin International Film Festival was held from 11 to 21 February 2016, with American actress Meryl Streep as the president of the jury. The Honorary Golden Bear for lifetime achievement was presented to German cinematographer Michael Ballhaus.
Fran Borgia is a Spanish-born film producer based in Singapore since 2004. He is the founder of film production company Akanga Film Asia.
The Woman Who Left is a 2016 Philippine drama film written, produced, edited, and directed by Lav Diaz. Filmed entirely in black-and-white, it was selected to compete in the main competition section at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival where it won the Golden Lion. Although it has received a very limited release, the film has received acclaim from critics.
Philippine New Wave is a filmmaking term that has been popularly associated with the resurgence of independent, digital and experimental films in the Philippines began in the 21st century, and merged into a recent filmmaking period known as the Third Golden Age of Philippine cinema.
The 48th Guillermo Mendoza Memorial Scholarship Foundation Box Office Entertainment Awards (GMMSF-BOEA), honored the personalities, movies and TV programs in the Philippines, held on May 14, 2017 at the Henry Lee Irwin Theater in Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City. Vice Ganda, Coco Martin, Daniel Padilla and Kathryn Bernardo lead winners at the annual awards. The awards night was aired on ABS-CBN's Sunday's Best on May 21, 2017.
Susan Africa is a Filipino screen and stage actress, writer, painter, beauty queen and former television host with a career spanning four decades. After placing first runner-up at the 1980 Binibining Pilipinas pageant, she pursued a career in showbusiness. A prominent figure in soap operas, she rose to fame in the television series Mara Clara (1992) and is noted for playing impoverished maternal characters. She won Best Supporting Actress at the 1987 Metro Manila Film Festival for her portrayal in Olongapo... The Great American Dream and has been involved in several international productions such as Noriega: God's Favorite (2000), Blood Surf (2000) and Under Heavy Fire (2001).
Dwein Ruedas Baltazar is a Filipino filmmaker. She is best known for directing the films Gusto Kita With All My Hypothalamus (2018) and Oda Sa Wala (2018). She has also directed a number of iWantTFC series, such as Past, Present, Perfect? (2019) and I Am U (2020).
Filipino actress Angel Aquino has appeared in film, television, and stage productions. She made her screen debut with a minor role in the action drama Mumbaki (1996), and appeared in supporting roles in the dramas Goodbye America (1997), Bata, Bata... Pa'no Ka Ginawa? (1998), and Serafin Geronimo (1998). Her first television appearance was as a presenter of the lifestyle show F! (1999). In 2000, Aquino had her breakthrough in the erotic drama Laro sa Baga, for which she received a Star Award for Best Supporting Actress. She made her stage debut in 2002 with the Folk Arts Theater production of Eve Ensler's play The Vagina Monologues, portraying a Bosnian woman subjected to rape.