The Woman Who Left

Winner of the Golden Lion at the 2016 Venice Film Festival, Filipino filmmaker Lav Diaz’s epic story of revenge deferred functions as a tale of urban theater and class warfare. After 30 years in prison, a former schoolteacher learns that her friend and fellow inmate committed the murder of which she was accused. Once released, she seeks out her estranged family, discovering that the country that she remembers has changed, terrorized by corruption and rampant kidnappings. Along the way, she discovers the man who framed her. Inspired by Tolstoy, The Woman Who Left is a sensitive expression of family and forgiveness.  

(Lav Diaz, 2016, Philippines, 226 min., DCP)