“Ang Babaeng Humayo” (“The Woman Who Left”), directed by Lav Diaz, won the coveted Golden Lion Saturday for best film at the 73rd Venice Film Festival, becoming the first Filipino pic to earn the distinction.
The revenge drama, which runs about four hours, tells the story of a schoolteacher fresh out of a 30-year prison sentence served for a crime she did not commit. Filipina Charo Santos-Concio plays the lead role of Horacia Somorostro, who is plotting revenge on the man who framed her. John-Lloyd Cruz, Nonie Buencamino, and Michael De Mesa co-starred.
Filmed completely in black and white, the 57-year-old director said the film is an allusion to Filipinos’ recovery after centuries of colonial rule. “This is for my country, for the Filipino people, for our struggle, for the struggle of humanity,” Diaz said, while accepting the award. This was a big year for Diaz, who also won the Alfred Bauer prize for his film “Lullaby to Sorrowful Mystery” (“Hele Sa Hiwagang Hapis”) at the Berlin International Film Festival.
The Golden Lion is considered one of the film industry’s top prizes. The second-place award was given to Tom Ford’s thriller “Nocturnal Animals.”
