Isang Kasaysayan ng Karahasang Pilipino (A Tale of Filipino Violence), a film by Lav Diaz and stars John Lloyd Cruz competes in Festival International de Cinema Marseille or International Film Festival Marseille (FIDMarseille) in Marseille, France from July 5 to 11, 2022.

Diaz had his film’s world premiere as one of 14 films chosen to be a part of the Official Selection in the International Competition of the FIDMarseille on its 33rd edition. The week-long film festival will be welcoming 130 films, 50 of which will be in competition culled from almost 3, 000 submissions every year. 

The film is set in the time of an oppressive regime and follows the story of an heir of a big business family as he faces the conflicts and challenges of his journey towards becoming. Adapted from a short story by the recently-proclaimed National Artist for Literature and respected screenwriter, Ricky Lee, the film sheds a different light on the controversial theme.

The stellar cast led by award-winning drama actor John Lloyd Cruz as Servando Monzon III is joined by other notable names in the industry — Shaina Magdayao, Bart Guingona, Agot Isidro, Hazel Orencio, among others, with the special participation of Charo Santos-Concio.

The critically-acclaimed director is infamous for his long narrative style, which includes this six-hour long drama. Adding to the iconic Lav Diaz formula, this film is color graded in black and white. 

Supported by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) through their International Film Festival Assistance Program (IFFAP), the film is set to make an appearance in France as a competing film. 

In the previous edition of the International Film Festival Marseille, the renowned filmmaker participated as jury president of the same section he’s competing in for this year. Diaz’s Isang Kasaysayan ng Karahasang Pilipino (A Tale of Filipino Violence) will be modified into an 8-episode series to be streamed on IWantTFC later this year, making this his debut work on television.