Lav Diaz’s eight film to join one of the oldest film festivals in the world. Phantosmia is an official out-of-competition entry in the upcoming La Biennale di Venezia.
Officially announced yesterday as one of the films to join the out-of-competition entry in the upcoming Venice Film Festival, ‘Phantosmia’ stars Janine Gutierrez, which is also her first collaboration with the esteemed auteur.
Diaz’s first film to join the festival was 2007’s Death in the Land of Encantos.
With a total running time of 245 minutes (4 hours), the film’s title refers to an olfactory condition that causes a person to detect smells that aren’t there. It stars Ronnie Lazaro as Hilarion Zabala, Hazel Orencio, and Paul Jake Paule.
The film’s synopsis writes: Hilarion Zabala’s mysterious olfactory problem has recurred; a counselor/psychiatrist suspects it to be a lingering case of phantosmia, a phantom smell, and possibly caused by trauma, a deep psychological fracture. One recommended radical process to cure the ailment was that Hilarion must go back and deal with the darkest currents of his past life in the military service. Reassigned in the very remote Pulo Penal Colony, he must also confront the horrific realities of his present situation.
Produced by TEN17P and sine olivia pilipinas, the cast also includes Arjay Babon, Dong Abay, Allen Alzola, Heart Puyong, Mitzi Comia, Vince Macapobre, Toni Go, Lhorvie Nuevo, Edrick Alcontado.
This also marks Janine Gutierrez’s first collaboration with Lav Diaz, and would be her second collaboration with Hazel Orencio, who she first worked with on Dreamscape’s Dirty Linen.
Since 1932, the Venice Film Festival was established to give creators the artistic freedom to express themselves through film. It is also part of the Venice Biennale, one of the world’s oldest art exhibitions created by the Venice City Council in 19 April 1893. The 81st Venice International Film Festival will be held from 28 August to 7 September 2024.
Lav Diaz is no stranger to the festival, having won the Best Film (Horizons) for Melancholia in 2008; the Golden Lion for Ang Babaeng Humayo (The Woman Who Left) in 2016; and Best Film (Horizons) for Genus, Pan in 2020. The first Filipino and Asian film to be screened at the festival was Manuel Conde’s Genghis Khan in 1952. Besides Diaz, other notable Filipino filmmakers to have their works shown at the prestigious film festival are Mike de Leon (Sister Stella L, nominated for the Golden Lion in 1985); Ishmael Bernal’s Himala (the restored version premiered at the Venice Classics section at the 69th Venice International Film Festival in 2012); Brillante Mendoza’s three films entered the main competition with Lola (2009), Captive (2012), and Thy Womb (2012); and Erik Matti’s On The Job 2: The Missing 8 that was nominated for the Golden Lion, and won the Best Actor Award for John Arcilla’s performance.
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