Lav Diaz returns in competition to Locarno, 9 years after winning the Golden Leopard. This time with Essential Truths of The Lake, a prequel to When The Waves Are Gone and the second entry into the Hermes Trilogy.

“What drives a man to search for the truth?

In the case of Lt. Hermes Papauran, who is arguably the greatest Filipino investigator, when asked, he says dejectedly that maybe he is just wants to keep inflicting pain on himself.

With such an ambiguous statement, he may have provided the greatest answer to the proverbial question. To search for the truth is all about pain.

Faced with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody murders and brazen lies, Lt. Papauran continues his struggle to find resolution to a fifteen-year-old case around a volcanic ash laden landscape and an impenetrable lake. It has become a cross he can barely carry but keeps lugging anyway. His survival then is in perpetuating the pain.”

The sine olivia pilipinas film is produced by Bianca Balbuena & Bradley Liew of Epicmedia (Philippines), Jean Christophe Simon of Films Boutique (France), Joaquim Sapinho and Marta Alves of Rosa Filmes (Portugal), co-produced by Stefano Centini of Volos Films Italia (Italy), with Executive Producers Jeremiah Oh & XY Kang of Tier Pictures Singapore; Bord Cadre Films and Sovereign Films

World Premiere

Locarno Film Festival 2023, Main Competition

Essential Truths Of The Lake