From What Is Before

From What Is Before
From What Is Before
	Theatrical poster
Directed by	Lav Diaz
Written by	Lav Diaz
Produced by	Lav Diaz; Krzysztof Dabrowski;
Starring	Perry Dizon; Roeder Camanag; Hazel Orencio; Karenina Haniel; Mailes Kanapi;
Cinematography	Lav Diaz
Edited by	Lav Diaz
Production; company	Sine Olivia Pilipinas
Release dates	July 3, 2014 (Philippines); August 7, 2014 (Locarno);
Running time	338 minutes
Country	Philippines
Languages	Filipino; English;

From What Is Before (Filipino: Mula sa Kung Ano ang Noon) is a 2014 Filipino drama film written, co-produced, photographed, edited, and directed by Lav Diaz. Set during the Marcos dictatorship, the story follows the villagers who face mysterious events in their peaceful community, only to find out that this would start a violent chapter. The film stars Perry Dizon, Roeder Camanag, Hazel Orencio, Karenina Haniel, and Mailes Kanapi.

Produced by Sine Olivia Pilipinas, the film first premiered in the Philippines on July 3, 2014. It was later screened in international film festivals, including in Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland on August 7, where it, a competing entry, won the Golden Leopard, Toronto International Film Festival in Canada on September 7, and Tokyo International Film Festival in Japan on October 24.^[a]

Plot

In 1970, at a remote coastal village somewhere in the country, mysterious things occur as wails are heard from the forest, cows are hacked to death, a man is found bleeding to death at the crossroad, and houses are burned.

In the year 1972, President Ferdinand Marcos publicly announced Proclamation No. 1081, a law that put the entire country under Martial Law. Everything became a mess when the Armed Forces of the Philippines decided to camp in the barrio. Or was it already messed up before?

Production

The story is inspired by filmmaker Lav Diaz's childhood during Martial Law, when he witnessed the gunfights between government militias and rebels, bombings, village burnings, and deaths of numerous civilians in his home province.^[4]

Cast

Perry Dizon as Sito
Roeder as Tony
Hazel Orencio as Itang
Karenina Haniel as Joselina
Reynan Abcede as Hakob
Mailes Kanapi as Heding
Ching Valdes-Aran as Babu
Joel Saracho as Father Guido

Reception

Critical response

Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator, gives the film an approval rating of 89% based on 9 reviews, with a weighted average of 7/10.^[5]

Mark Angelo Ching, writing for Philippine Entertainment Portal, gave praise to Diaz's direction and cinematography, the set design, and the cast's acting performances.^[6]

Accolades

Award-giving organization / Film Festival	Date of ceremony	Category	Recipient(s)	Result	Ref.
67th Locarno Film Festival	August 16, 2014	Golden Leopard (Best Film)	From What Is Before	Won	^[1]
38th Gawad Urian Awards	June 16, 2015	Best Film	From What Is Before	Won	^[7]^[8]
		Best Direction	Lav Diaz	Won
		Best Screenplay		Won
		Best Editing		Won
		Best Production Design	Perry Dizon	Nominated
		Best Sound	Marc Locsin	Nominated
		Best Actress	Hazel Orencio	Nominated
		Best Supporting Actor	Roeder Camañag	Nominated
		Best Supporting Actor	Noel Sto. Domingo	Nominated
		Best Supporting Actress	Karenina Haiel	Nominated

Notes

↑ Attributed to these references: ^[1]^[2] ^[3]

References

1 2 Debruge, Peter (August 16, 2014). "Locarno Favorite Lav Diaz's 'From What Is Before' Wins Top Prize". Variety. Retrieved July 3, 2026.
↑ Pond, Steve (August 12, 2014). "Kristen Stewart, Adam Sandler, John Travolta, Arnold Schwarzenegger Movies Headed to Toronto Film Fest". TheWrap. Retrieved July 3, 2026.
↑ San Diego Jr., Bayani (October 31, 2014). "Lav Diaz fans turn up in Tokyo fest screening". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Inquirer Group of Companies. Retrieved July 3, 2026.
↑ Bunbury, Stephanie (July 31, 2015). "Lav Diaz's film From What is Before draws on his turbulent childhood in the Philippines". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved July 3, 2026.
↑ "From What Is Before (2014)". Rotten Tomatoes.
↑ Ching, Mark Angelo (September 26, 2014). "MOVIE REVIEW: Lav Diaz's epic film Mula Sa Kung Ano Ang Noon". Philippine Entertainment Portal. Retrieved July 3, 2026.
↑ Cagape, Kristhoff (May 22, 2015). "JM de Guzman and Angelica Panganiban bag nominations in 38th Urian Awards". ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs. ABS-CBN Digital.
↑ Mendoza, Arvin (June 18, 2015). "IN PHOTOS: The 38th Gawad Urian awards night". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Inquirer Group of Companies. Retrieved July 3, 2026.

External links

[4] Attributed to these references: ^[1]^[2] ^[3]

[variety-1] 1 2 Debruge, Peter (August 16, 2014). "Locarno Favorite Lav Diaz's 'From What Is Before' Wins Top Prize". Variety. Retrieved July 3, 2026.

[Toronto-2] Pond, Steve (August 12, 2014). "Kristen Stewart, Adam Sandler, John Travolta, Arnold Schwarzenegger Movies Headed to Toronto Film Fest". TheWrap. Retrieved July 3, 2026.

[Tokyo-3] San Diego Jr., Bayani (October 31, 2014). "Lav Diaz fans turn up in Tokyo fest screening". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Inquirer Group of Companies. Retrieved July 3, 2026.

[5] Bunbury, Stephanie (July 31, 2015). "Lav Diaz's film From What is Before draws on his turbulent childhood in the Philippines". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved July 3, 2026.

[6] "From What Is Before (2014)". Rotten Tomatoes.

[PEP-7] Ching, Mark Angelo (September 26, 2014). "MOVIE REVIEW: Lav Diaz's epic film Mula Sa Kung Ano Ang Noon". Philippine Entertainment Portal. Retrieved July 3, 2026.

[8] Cagape, Kristhoff (May 22, 2015). "JM de Guzman and Angelica Panganiban bag nominations in 38th Urian Awards". ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs. ABS-CBN Digital.

[9] Mendoza, Arvin (June 18, 2015). "IN PHOTOS: The 38th Gawad Urian awards night". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Inquirer Group of Companies. Retrieved July 3, 2026.

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v t e Lav Diaz
Films directed	Serafin Geronimo (1998) Batang West Side (2001) Hesus Rebolusyonaryo (2002) Evolution of a Filipino Family (2004) Heremias (2006) Death in the Land of Encantos (2007) Melancholia (2008) Norte, the End of History (2013) From What Is Before (2014) A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery (2016) The Woman Who Left (2016) Season of the Devil (2018) The Halt (2019) History of Ha (2021) When the Waves Are Gone (2022) Phantosmia (2024) Magellan (2025) Let Us Through, Dear Ancestors (2026)
Films written only	Galvez: Hanggang sa Dulo ng Mundo Hahanapin Kita (1993)
Related	Adarna: The Mythical Bird (1997)

v t e Golden Leopard winning films
1946–1975	And Then There Were None (1946) Man About Town (1947) Germany, Year Zero (1948) The Farm of Seven Sins (1949) When Willie Comes Marching Home (1950) Hunted (1952) Julius Caesar (1953) The Composer Glinka (1953) The Glass Wall (1953) Prince Bayaya (1954) Gate of Hell (1954) Wild Fruit (1954) Rotation (1954) The Sheep Has Five Legs (1954) Carmen Jones (1955) The Emperor's Nightingale (1955) Il Grido (1957) Ten North Frederick (1958) Killer's Kiss (1959) Il bell'Antonio (1960) Fires on the Plain (1961) The Winner (1962) Transport from Paradise (1963) Black Peter (1964) Four in the Morning (1965) Courage for Every Day (1966) Entranced Earth (1967) The Visionaries (1968) Charles, Dead or Alive (1969) Those Who Wear Glasses (1969) Three Sad Tigers (1969) No Path Through Fire (1969) Lilika (1970) Mujo (1970) Soleil Ô (1970) End of the Road (1970) On the Point of Death (1971) They Have Changed Their Face (1971) The Friends (1971) Private Road (1971) Znaki na drodze (1971) Bleak Moments (1972) The Illumination (1973) Tűzoltó utca 25. (1974) The Son of Amir Is Dead (1975)
1976–2000	The Big Night (1976) Antonio Gramsci: The Days of Prison (1977) The Idlers of the Fertile Valley (1978) The Herd (1979) To Love the Damned (1980) Chakra (1981) The Princess (1983) Stranger Than Paradise (1984) Alpine Fire (1985) Jezioro Bodeńskie (1986) O Bobo (1987) Distant Voices, Still Lives (1988) Schmetterlinge (1988) Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East? (1989) Accidental Waltz (1990) Johnny Suede (1991) Autumn Moon (1992) The Place on a Grey Tricorne (1993) Khomreh (1994) Raï (1995) Nénette and Boni (1996) The Mirror (1997) Mr. Zhao (1998) Skin of Man, Heart of Beast (1999) Father (2000)
2001–present	Off to the Revolution by a 2CV (2001) The Longing (2002) Khamosh Pani (2003) Private (2004) Nine Lives (2005) Das Fräulein (2006) The Rebirth (2007) Parque Vía (2008) She, a Chinese (2009) Winter Vacation (2010) Back to Stay (2011) The Girl from Nowhere (2012) Story of My Death (2013) From What Is Before (2014) Right Now, Wrong Then (2015) Godless (2016) Mrs. Fang (2017) A Land Imagined (2018) Vitalina Varela (2019) Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash (2021) Regra 34 (2022) Critical Zone (2023) Toxic (2024) Two Seasons, Two Strangers (2025)

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