Taking leave from their jobs at a gold mine, three workers journey to
their home village on foot through the spectacular yet unforgiving
wilderness of the mythical island of Hugaw. As time passes and their
conversations intensify, buried histories emerge and a sense of
psychosis invades the scene. As ever, Lav Diaz’s exquisitely subdued
black-and-white images and patient rhythm lend a Brechtian register to
the drama; almost always filmed from the same fixed distance, each scene
is an immaculate tableau vivant. Behind the film’s folkloric façade,
Diaz once again taps into the collective memory of defiant struggles
against the tyranny of both contemporary Filipino society and colonial
brutality, centred on the timeless image of men walking – one of the key
traits of Pan.
Lahi, Hayop is a slow burn mystery film that is full of philosophies referencing to the history and myth of the Philippines. If you analyze further the film, it has a hidden and political message that it would like to tell to the audience. Kudos for the unconventional storytelling and clear vision of the film.
My Verdict: 3.5/5
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