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Philippine movie takes top award in Locarno

Director Lav Diaz with his Golden Leopard Keystone

A movie depicting life in the Philippines under the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos scooped the prestigious Golden Leopard prize as best film at the Locarno Film FestivalExternal link on Saturday.

The five-and-a-half hour long black and white film Mula sa kung ano ang noon (From What Is Before), directed by Lav Diaz, charts life in an isolated village in the Philippines in 1972. It beat 16 other movies to win the award in the film festival’s 67th year.

The best actor award went to Artem Bystrov for his role in the Russian film Durak (The Fool) while French actress Ariane Labed was also honoured for her part in Fidelio (the Odyssey of Alice).

The satirical movie from United States director Alex Ross Perry Listen up Philip, that follows the fortunes of a successful, but angst-ridden New York novelist, took the Special Jury Prize.

Portugal’s Pedro Costa was acclaimed as best director of the festival’s entrants for his movie Cavalo Dinheiro (Horse Money).

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