Norte, the End of History

Norte, the End of History
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Lav Diaz
Screenplay by	Lav Diaz Rody Vera
Story by	Rody Vera Michiko Yamamoto Raymond Lee
Produced by	Moira Lang [a]
Starring	Sid Lucero Angeli Bayani Archie Alemania Angelina Kanapi Soliman Cruz Mae Paner Hazel Orencio
Cinematography	Lauro Rene Manda
Edited by	Lav Diaz
Music by	Perry Dizon
Production companies	Wacky O Productions Kayan Productions Origin8 Media
Distributed by	Cinema Guild
Release dates	May 23, 2013 (2013-05-23)(Cannes) September 10, 2014 (2014-09-10)(Philippines)
Running time	250 minutes [1]
Country	Philippines
Languages	Tagalog English

Norte, the End of History (Tagalog : Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan) is a 2013 Philippine psychological drama film ^[2] co-written, edited, and directed by Lav Diaz. Lasting for more than four hours, the film explores themes of crime, class, and family.

Screened at the Un Certain Regard section at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, ^[3] as well as the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival, the main slate of 2013 New York Film Festival, and the Masters section of the 2013 San Diego Asian Film Festival, ^[4] the film has received wide acclaim for its riveting storytelling and unique cinematography. The film also won four awards including Best Picture and Best Actress at the 2014 Gawad Urian Awards. ^[5]

The film had a limited release in the Philippines on March 11, 2014, and its wide theatrical release on September 10, 2014. It was selected as the Filipino entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 87th Academy Awards, but was not nominated. ^{[6] [7]}

Plot

The lives of three people take a turn when one of them commits a crime.

Joaquin (Archie Alemania) fails miserably at providing for his family. When his money lender gets murdered by disillusioned law student Fabian (Sid Lucero), the crime is pinned on Joaquin. In prison, he is transformed by misery and solitude.

Left to fend for the family, his wife Eliza (Angeli Bayani) pours all of her strength into battling despair as she ekes out a living for their children.

The real perpetrator, Fabian, roams free. His disillusionment with his country—its history of revolutions marred by betrayal and crimes unpunished—drives him to the edge of insanity. ^[8]

Cast

• Sid Lucero as Fabian
• Angeli Bayani as Eliza
• Archie Alemania as Joaquin
• Angelina Kanapi as Hoda
• Soliman Cruz as Wakwak
• Hazel Orencio as Ading
• Mae Paner as Magda

Reception

Critical reception

Norte, the End of History received critical acclaim upon its release. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 93% of 41 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.1/10.The website's consensus reads: "Its four-hour length is undeniably imposing, but Norte, the End of History rewards patient viewers with an absorbing, visually expansive viewing experience." ^[9] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 81 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". ^[10]

A.O. Scott of New York Times writes, "More than four hours long, filmed in expansive takes with almost no close-ups and very few camera movements, Lav Diaz's "Norte, the End of History" is a tour de force of slow cinema. It is the work of a director as fascinated by decency as by ugliness, and able to present the chaos of life in a series of pictures that are at once luminously clear and endlessly mysterious." ^[11]

Neil Young of The Hollywood Reporter gave an underwhelming review by saying, "There's little in the way of genuine depth, complexity or nuance here, Diaz instead seeks to convey the illusion of profundity by having various characters throw around weighty social and philosophical verbiage in thuddingly sophomoric fashion." ^[12]

At the end of 2013, British magazine Sight & Sound listed Norte as one of the Top 10 films of 2013, tying for the ninth spot with the French film Stranger by the Lake . ^[13] The film also was chosen by the International Cinephile Society Awards 2014 as one of the Best Films not released in 2013. ^[14] Norte was also ranked at #15 at Film Comment's Top 20 Best Films of 2014. ^[15]

Rolling Stone listed the film as one of the Top 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century at number 98. ^[16]

Awards and nominations

Year	Event	Category	Recipient	Result
2013	Cannes Film Festival	Prix Un Certain Regard	Norte, the End of History	Nominated
	Cinemanila International Film Festival	(Best Film) Lino Brocka Award		Nominated
		Best Director Award	Lav Diaz	Won
	International Cinephile Society Awards	Best Picture not released in 2013	Norte, the End of History	Won
	Nuremberg International Human Rights Film Festival	Nuremberg International Human Rights Film Award		Won
2014	Gawad Urian Awards	Best Picture		Won
		Best Actor	Sid Lucero	Nominated
		Best Actress	Angeli Bayani	Won
		Best Supporting Actor	Archie Alemania	Nominated
		Best Director	Lav Diaz	Nominated
		Best Screenplay	Lav Diaz and Rody Vera	Won
		Best Cinematography	Lauro Manda	Won
		Best Music	Perry Dizon	Nominated
		Best Editing	Lav Diaz	Nominated
		Best Sound	Corinne de San Jose	Nominated
	Golden Screen Awards	Best Motion Picture (Drama)	Norte, the End of History	Nominated
		Best Director	Lav Diaz	Nominated
		Best Original Screenplay	Rody Vera Lav Diaz	Nominated
		Best Original Story	Rody Vera Michiko Yamamoto Raymond Lee	Nominated
2015	Film Independent Spirit Awards	Best Foreign Film	Lav Diaz	Nominated
	London Film Critics' Circle Awards	Best Foreign Language Film of the Year		Nominated

See also

• List of submissions to the 87th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
• List of Philippine submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film

Notes

1. Moira Lang is the name of writer Raymond Lee before transition.

References

1. "Norte, the End of History". MSP Film Society. The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul. Retrieved August 30, 2014.
2. Norte, the End of History (2013) - Lav Diaz | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related | AllMovie , retrieved October 20, 2021
3. "2013 Official Selection". Cannes. April 30, 2013. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
4. cite web|url=http://festival.sdaff.org/2013/section/masters/
5. "Urian Awards 2014". Gawad Urian. June 18, 2014. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
6. "Oscars: Philippines Select 'Norte, The End of History' for Foreign-Language Category". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
7. "9 Foreign Language Films Advance in Oscar® Race". Oscars.org. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. December 19, 2014. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
8. "Official Facebook Page Info" . Retrieved May 13, 2014.
9. "Norte, the End of History". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved October 9, 2021.
10. "Norte, the End of History". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
11. "'Norte, the End of History,' a Dostoyevskian Fable". New York Times. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
12. "Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
13. "Sight & Sound Names 'Act of Killing' Top Film of 2013". Variety. Retrieved November 29, 2013.
14. "'Inside Llewyn Davis,' 'Blue Is The Warmest Color' Top 2014 International Cinephile Society Awards". Indiewire. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
15. "Film Comment Names 'Boyhood' Best Film Of 2014, Releases Top 20 List & 20 Films Without Distribution To See". Indiewire. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
16. Stone, Rolling (July 1, 2025). "100 Best Movies of the 21st Century". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 3, 2025.

External links

• Norte, the End of History at IMDb
• San Diego Asian Film Festival Website (2013)