UPDATE (Oct 9). Following its very successful US premiere last week (see story below), Norte has been awarded top prize at the Nuremberg International Human Rights Film Festival. This is the jury’s statement as they awarded the prize, excerpted from producer Raymond Lee’s Facebook page:
“After an enriching discussion, the jury arrived at a unanimous decision. The film we chose convinced us by both the epic scope of its story and the intimate portrayal of its characters and their grave fates. Through a subtle though multi-layered narration the film interweaves social, political, religious and literary aspects into an organic and humanistic whole. We were strongly impressed by the painterly crafted yet naturalistic tableaus with strong emotional acting, a fluid rhythm and strong, documentary-like dialogues. We are glad to announce that the Internationale Nurnberger Filmpreis der Menschenrechte goes to Norte, The End of History by Lav Diaz.” Photo via Facebook/Toti Manasan
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(Sept 30) The 250-minuter Filipino movie Norte, The End of History held its US premiere a few hours ago at the 51st New York Film Festival. A question and answer session followed the screening, with director Lav Diaz and producer/actress Moira Lang (above) expertly fielding queries from the packed audience. The movie is the Filipino director’s take on Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment. “It was a full house screening,” writes Manila Bulletin columnist Queenmelo Esguerra on her Facebook account. “Tickets were sold out days before the scheduled screening. The applause was deafening and both Lav Diaz and Moira Lang were brilliant at the Q&A!” Below is the movie’s trailer, in case you missed it.
The sold-out screening was partly thanks to a positive review in the New York Times by film critic Manohla Dargis:
“Also playing on Sunday is “Norte, the End of History,” from the Filipino filmmaker Lav Diaz, which tells the story of two strangers whose lives are tragically intertwined when a rich man commits a double murder, and a poor man is forced to take the fall. With a calm, precise visual style — his fluid, understated camera movements almost hover at the edge of your consciousness — and a four-hour-plus running time, Mr. Diaz doesn’t just tell a story about two men, he also shows you the world in which such stories and men emerge.
“He takes his time (and yours) to move in and around spaces rather than skipping through them, to accumulate details and play with ordinary daily rhythms. At once lifelike and a scrupulous imitation of life, the movie turns time into a bridge that allows you to cross into the lives of others. “Norte, the End of History” can be tough going, and three hours probably would have been as effective as four, but it’s one of the highlights of this year’s New York Film Festival, which makes it a must-see.”
