Lav Diaz to premiere 4th film with John Lloyd Cruz at London Film Fest

VENICE, ITALY, September 8 ------ 'History of Ha' will make its premiere at the BFI London Festival in October. From Paris, where he is doing the final mix of his other new film, When the Waves Are Gone (Kung Wala Na Ang Alon), auteur Lav Diaz shared the news that History of Ha (Historya ni Ha) will premiere at the BFI London Festival in October. The movie is featured in the London Film Festival’s Dare section, described as, “In-your-face and arresting – stories that take you out of your comfort zone.”

History of Ha is Lav’s fourth film with John Lloyd Cruz since their acclaimed first collaboration in The Woman Who Left (Ang Babaeng Humayo). In the 1957-set black and white drama running four hours and 20 minutes, John plays Hernando, a bodabil great with a ventriloquist’s puppet named Ha, and a former member of a socialist cadre. “John Lloyd Cruz is a very sensitive, intuitive, introspective and intelligent individual,” wrote the filmmaker about his current muse in our email exchange. “These attributes manifest in his works as an actor. In engaging with him, there’s little discourse really on the character he will be playing.” “Oftentimes, our talk would be about life, reflections on things, issues. He would just be asking a few questions. But you can see that he is profoundly focused on studying the script, the character.” “I don’t bother him. We don’t bother him. When the scene is being shot, you’ll witness how prepared he is.”

The internationally respected filmmaker said that John’s mustachioed look was called for by the film’s era. “Mabigote ang mga tao noon,” he explained.

History of Ha also features Mae Paner, Teroy Guzman, Dolly de Leon, Hazel Cruz, Earl Ignacio, Jonathan Francisco, and the residents of Sibaltan, Palawan, where Lav shot the film. As in his other films, Lav directed, wrote, produced, shot, edited and did the production design of History of Ha. Lav emailed the film’s synopsis: “Hernando Alamada, a Filipino vaudeville great and a former socialist cadre, fulfills the last leg of his performing tour on the Mayflower cruise ship.” “He knows that the Philippines is experiencing a bitter transition yet again; the much-loved and popular president, Ramon Magsaysay, suddenly dies in a plane crash.” “Hernando arrives in his poverty-stricken barrio, his country’s state and future burdening him heavily. At the same time, a deep, personal turmoil confronts him.” “He plods on an aimless journey. Akin to the Filipino bodabil, he finds himself on the gate of the theater of the absurd, a descent to burlesque, madness, to stark realities and ultimately, an ascent to his own redemption.”

Source: rappler.com