Award-winning Filipino director Lav Diaz is set to once again captivate audiences at the prestigious Venice Film Festival with his latest cinematic opus, Phantosmia. The film will have its world premiere in the Out-of-Competition, Fiction section of the 81st Venice Film Festival, which runs from August 28 to September 7.
Produced by Lav Diaz’s own production company, Sine Olivia Pilipinas, in collaboration with TEN17P, Phantosmia boastsa star-studded cast led by veteran actor Ronnie Lazaro. Joining him on screen is the talented Janine Gutierrez, alongside Hazel Orencio, Paul Jake Paule, Arjay Babon, Dong Abay, Allen Alzola, Heart Puyong, Mitzi Comia, Vince Macapobre, Toni Go, Lhorvie Nuevo, and Edrick Alcontado.
The film follows the story of Hilarion Zabala (Ronnie Lazaro), a man plagued by a mysterious olfactory problem. Suspecting it to be a case of phantosmia—a phantom smell—a counselor/psychiatrist suggests that the root of the issue lies in a deep-seated psychological trauma. To confront his past and find a cure, Hilarion is reassigned to the remote Pulo Penal Colony, where he must grapple with both the horrors of his military service and the harsh realities of his present situation.
With a running time of 245 minutes (approximately four hours), Phantosmia promises to be another immersive and thought-provoking cinematic experience from the renowned Filipino filmmaker.
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