Annual Top Films Lists

Top 100 Most Anticipated Foreign Films of 2017: # 96. Lav Diaz’s When the Waves Are Gone

Published on January 3, 2017

When the Waves Are Gone

Director: Lav Diaz
Writer: Lav Diaz

Lav Diaz had a sterling 2016. After winning the Alfred Bauer Award for his eight hour epic A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery out of Berlin’s competition, he snagged the Golden Lion at Venice several months later with A Woman Left Behind. Between those two premieres, he was collecting funds for his next production, When the Waves Are Gone, a tale of revenge. Released after serving 29 years in Manila’s most crowded prison, Herminiglido Nono (from a favor granted by a warden who’s life he once saved), returns to his home to regain what was taken from him by his best friend, including his wealth, his house, and the woman who loved him. The narrative description, one should note, sounds like the male companion piece to A Woman Left Behind.

Cast: TBA

Production Co./Producer(s): Epicmedia Productions Inc. (Bianca Balbuena, Bradley Liew).

U.S. Distributor: Rights available.

Release Date: After winning top prizes in Locarno (2014’s From What is Before), Venice, and Berlin, it may be time for Diaz to break into the main competition at Cannes (where he last premiered in Un Certain Regard with the vibrant Norte, the End of History).

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Nicholas Bell

Los Angeles based Nicholas Bell is IONCINEMA.com's Chief Film Critic and covers film festivals such as Sundance, Berlin, Cannes and TIFF. He is part of the critic groups on Rotten Tomatoes, The Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS) and GALECA. His top 3 for 2021: France (Bruno Dumont), Passing (Rebecca Hall) and Nightmare Alley (Guillermo Del Toro). He was a jury member at the 2019 Cleveland International Film Festival.