Fans have keenly awaited Isang Salaysay ng Karahasang Pilipino, Lav Diaz’s retelling of National Artist for Literature Ricky Lee’s Palanca award-winning short story, Servando Magdamag — and now, we get our official first look at the film.
The three-minute preview, posted a few days ago (can’t find any excuse as to why I’ve found out about this just now), acknowledges that the film is a “sine-nobela,” alluding to its six-hour and forty-nine-minute length.
It doesn’t give us much in the way of plot, but those familiar with the text know that it will follow Servando Monzon (John Lloyd Cruz), a young man who inherits his family’s hacienda at the onset of Marcos Sr.’s martial law. “He is aware of his clan’s long history of violence,” reads the official synopsis. “He knows the very violent history of his county; and he foresees a very violent future with the Marcos dictatorship.”
The film made its premiere last week at the 2022 FID International Film Festival in Marseille. There’s currently no official word on a Philippine release, but I imagine local festivals are working to show the film in its home country.
Salaysay marks Diaz and Cruz’s fourth collaboration, having worked together on previous films like Historya ni Ha, Ang Babaeng Humayo, and Hele sa Hiwagang Hapis. The film also stars Bart Guingona, Agot Isidro, Hazel Orencio, Noel Estonilo Miralles, and others.
Watch the teasers below: