WHEN THE WAVES ARE GONE

Lieutenant Hermes Papauran (John Lloyd Cruz) is regarded as one of the Philippines’ best investigators. He is part of a police force that carries out the government’s anti-drugs campaign with devotion, and he has seen what that means. Guilt and fear eat into his body: a severe skin disease forces him to suspend his duty in Manila. At the same time, Sergeant Primo Macabantay (Ronnie Lazaro) is released from prison after ten years, apparently with backing from above. Hermes once put him behind bars; Primo, now a religious zealot, wants revenge. “When the Waves Are Gone” by Lav Diaz (Philippines, 2022) leads the two men towards a confrontation that unfolds like a myth.

Filipino director Lav Diaz shot in black and white, camera by Larry Manda, with tightly framed interiors reminiscent of Francis Bacon, and a finale in a nocturnal noir atmosphere. At 187 minutes, this is short for Diaz; his reference point is “The Count of Monte Cristo”, his theme the rot that politics leaves in a society, and what the drug war does to those who wage it. It premiered out of competition in Venice in 2022. “When the Waves Are Gone” was shown at Around the World in 14 Films in Berlin in 2022.

Shown at the 2022 edition of Around the World in 14 Films.

All films 2022 · Film Archive