Home / Quotes / Quote by Lav Diaz

Quote by Lav Diaz

“I can easily go to America, or I can easily escape to some places in Europe with friends. But the place for me is the Philippines. The struggle is there. I cannot turn my back on it. It's a responsibility.”

Quote by Lav Diaz

Author

Lav Diaz

Lav Diaz is a Filipino filmmaker known for his distinctive narrative style and profound exploration of social issues. His films often carry a deep humanistic concern, focusing on the history and present state of Philippine society. more

“"Filipino" is the Spanish side of our history. The islands were named after King Felipe, so we became known as Filipinos. It's a brand, it's a name. But we're Malays. Before colonizers came to our shores, we were Malays. My praxis is about being Malay - the struggle of the Malays before we became Filipinos.”

Names Sides Known Struggle Kings Brands Islands Shore Filipino Praxis

Author:Lav Diaz

“The novelistic attribute of my work is very much like the Russian way of creating novels. Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky - their work has so many gaps. But for the reader, you cannot erase those gaps because they are important. They contextualize the whole struggle. My cinema is like that.”

Way Important Whole Novel Struggle Reader Creating Cinema Gaps Attributes Erase Dostoyevsky

Author:Lav Diaz

“When I was trying to create this so-called Lav Diaz verité, it just happened. At some point, I became very comfortable with the one frame, with the single take. It just happened. I didn't plan it. I was looking for my own aesthetic, my own perspective, my own voice, and it happened.”

Trying Voice My Own Plans Happened Perspective Comfortable Aesthetic

Author:Lav Diaz

“There is no border. I'm branding my films as Malay cinema, but it's just about cinema. Everything that I make is about humanity's struggle, so there is no border, really.”

Film Humanity Struggle Borders Cinema Branding

Author:Lav Diaz