Genus Pan
Lahi, hayop
DIRECTED BY: Lav Diaz COUNTRY: Philippines YEAR: 2020 SPOKEN LANGUAGE(S): Tagalog SUBTITLES: English RUNNING TIME: 157 min
SECTION: International Forum 2021
SCREENINGS
SYNOPSIS
Three illegal miners journey back to their island after months of toiling in hellish conditions. With their hard-earned money, they traversed the sea, the mountains and the forest until they reached their destination. Or did they really reach their cursed place?
“I once was asked to define man, us so-called human beings, supposedly the most superior inhabitant of planet Earth, and due to the moment’s urgency, for a quick reply, all I could muster was an animal simile (Man is an animal), and I felt terrible, I thought I fumbled, but then looking back now, it was in fact the better answer. Yes, in fact, man remains on that level, animal. And I came upon a discourse exactly on this matter, that despite us being the better developed species, most of us still retains the demeanor and comportment of the chimpanzee, the genus pan, part of Hominidae, the great primate family. And, so, by nature, we are violent, aggressive, obsessive, transgressive, imposing, envious, territorial, narcissistic/egotistical, very much like our cousin, the genus pan. But then, there’s hope, the study says that the human brain is still developing and once it has achieved full development, man shall be complete, a truly self-actualized species, altruistic, saintly and true, just like Buddha, Gandhi, Christ and the farmer, Mang Osting, who generously provides for my vegetarian needs. Thus, this film, GENUS PAN… it has always been my desire to make a film about animals; but, man as animals, man honestly acting like one, an animal, as he has been acting like an animal all his life anyway.” (Lav Diaz)
BIOGRAPHY
Born in the Philippines in 1958, Lav Diaz devoted himself to writing and photography before turning to his film career. The director, known for the long running times of his films, received the Golden Lion for THE WOMAN WHO LEFT in 2016 and was in the competition at the Berlinale with the eight-hour black and white film A LULLABY TO THE SORROWFUL MYSTERY.
FILMOGRAPHY
Criminal of Barrio Concepcion (1998), Burger Boys (1999), Naked under the Moon (1999), West Side Kid (2002), Jesus, Revolutionary (2002), Evolution of a Filipino Family (2004), Heremias (Book one: The Legend of the Lizard Princess) (2006), Death in the Land of Encantos (2007), Melancholia (2008), Woman of the Wind (2011), Norte, the End of History (2013), A Lullaby to the sorrowful Mystery (2016), The Woman who left (2016), Season of the Devil (2018), The Halt (2019), Genus Pan (2020)
SCRIPT: Lav Diaz PRODUCER: Lav Diaz CINEMATOGRAPHY: Lav Diaz EDITOR: Lav Diaz SCORE:CAST: Nanding Josef, Don Melvin Boongaling, Bart Guingona, Hazel Orencio
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Sine Olivia Pilipinas (sineoliviapilipinas@gmail.com) WORLD SALES: Sine Olivia Pilipinas (sineoliviapilipinas@gmail.com)