01 March 2017 PARIS — A three-day restrospective on the films of acclaimed Filipino director Lav Diaz took place from February 23 to 25 in Toulouse, France as part of the celebrations for the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Philippines-France diplomatic relations, the Philippine Honorary Consulate in Toulouse.
The retrospective opened with the 2016 Venice Film Festival Golden Lion winner La Femme qui est partie (Ang Babaeng Humayo) on February 23.
Prior to the screening, Prof. Elisabeth Luquin, Head of the Filipino Section and Lecturer of Language and Literature at the Paris-based Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales (INALCO), delivered a short lecture on Philippine history and culture as well as a brief survey of the films of Lav Diaz. Professor Luquin and Philippine Honorary Consul Jeffrey Augustus Cabuay also answered questions from the audience. First Secretary and Consul Hans Mohaimin Siriban of the Embassy attended the opening screening.
The films Death in the Land of Encantos and Berceuse pour un sombre mystère (A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery) were screened on 24 February and 25 February 2017 respectively. Professor Luquin also acted as a resource person for the rest of the films. She was joined by film distributor and producer Simon Shandor on the last day. Filipino food was also served on the last day of the retrospective.
The Philippine Honorary Consulate in Toulouse organized the event in cooperation with the Philippines Embassy in Paris and l’Association Amitié Franco-Philippine en Midi-Pyrénées, in partnership with art-house cinema Le Cratére. END
