Lav Diaz, filmmaker from Maguindanao, on Maguindanao
A still from Kagadanan sa Banwaan ning nga Engkanto (Death in the Land of Encantos)
There are too many self-proclaimed experts making pompous, facile statements about Maguindanao as if they knew what they were talking about. We need to hear from someone who’s actually lived there and knows what it’s like, not just theoretically but viscerally.
Sherad Sanchez (who made Huling Balyan Ng Buhi and Imburnal) reminded me that Lav Diaz (Heremias, Encantos) is from Maguindanao. So I emailed Lav Diaz, who is in New York to visit his kids. He will be back after Xmas to finish his film in Bicol. His reply:
“Maguindanao… ang hirap, ang sakit. I’m numbed. Puro iyak at galit na lang ang nagagawa natin. Last May, I participated in La Salle University’s “Designing Peace: The Role of Imagination in Conflict Resolution”. I submitted an installation piece called Mindanao: A work-in-progress.
“I wrote a rationale in Pinoy, published in the Post-Literature Cinema blog.
“I’ll write a more comprehensive essay about Maguindanao. . .and finish the film. (Here’s an interview where I talked about Maguindanao.)
“Malayang Pasko at Malayang Bagong Taon sa ating bayan, kaibigan.
“Salamat gid. Lav”
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