Lav Diaz's new film completes third chapter of trilogy

Filipino director Lav Diaz's new film is in post-production and will be unveiled at the Venice Gap-Financing Market from September 4 to 6.This work constitutes the third chapter of the Hermes Trilogy, and the story is set in Lisbon, Portugal.

The protagonist of the new film is Lieutenant Ines Horta of the Lisbon police force.She is introduced as one of the best detectives in the city, working with Sheriff Mariana Mora to investigate a mystery.As the case progressed, she waited for information from Philippine police detective Hermes Papauraan, but she never received it.

Due to the lack of clues, Horta decided to leave the case to Mariana and leave.This decision would put Mariana in danger and is a conflict that is now open to the story.The film crew did not disclose the identity of the victim, opponent or outcome of the case, nor did it release character stills or trailers.

Rafe Diaz directs and writes the screenplay.Jean-Christophe Simon serves as producer, Films Boutique leads the production, Epic Media and Rosa Filmes also participate.ARTE, Bord Cadre and Sovereign Films provided support for the project, indicating that this is a cross-border cooperation film shot in Europe.

Monica Calle, Ana Villela da Costa and John Lloyd Cruz join the announced cast.Cruz previously played Hermes Papaura in the first two installments of the trilogy, and although the narrative center shifts to the Portuguese detective this time, the character will still influence the case in important ways.

The first two parts of the trilogy both revolve around Papa Ulan and premiered at the Locarno Film Festival.The new film gives the main perspective to Lieutenant Horta, preserving the connection between the two detectives.Diaz described them as friends and colleagues who also share similar persistence in professional ideals.

The director said that both investigators were obsessed with the truth and seemed out of place in the system they were in.They know there are failures in the system and don't fully trust the conventional way of handling cases.The film thus not only solves the clues of the case, but also presents the investigators' respective inner dilemmas.

Diaz connects detective stories to larger existential questions.In his introduction, investigation is not just about finding an answer, but also about understanding reality, grief and human responsibility.These ideas come from the director's public explanation of the new film and the overall direction of the trilogy.

In addition to this later work, Diaz also comes to Venice with another Filipino historical film.The film is set in the late 16th and early 17th centuries and focuses on the period when Spanish colonial power consolidated its rule in the Philippines.The report did not indicate any story connection between the two films.

The new film has now completed its presentation on the Venice financing market and is still in the advanced stages.The full length, premiere film festival and distribution region have not been announced, and the next production schedule and specific premiere date after the market presentation have not yet been announced.Existing news confirms the Lisbon setting, the location of the third chapter of the trilogy, as well as three revealed actors and a multinational production team.The character of Hermes also allows the new film to maintain a story connection with the first two chapters.The film is still finishing its final post-production work.