We’ve got exclusive clips from our upcoming new release, Norte, The End of History!

Lav Diaz, unquestionably the champion of Philippine cinema, is revered for his unapologetic style and refusal to conform to standard filmmaking conventions (especially running times). His latest film, Norte, The End of History, may be inspired by the literary classic Crime and Punishment, but is very much made his own. Norte screened at many film festivals, including the 51st New York Film Festival, to rave reviews. The 2013 Philippine drama explores themes of crime, class, and family over a marathon four hours.

Senses of Cinema’s Daniel Fairfax wrote: “While Diaz is renowned as an exponent of ‘slow cinema,’ the plot actually moves at a rather brisk pace, as the filmmaker follows both characters in their respective descents into the abyss, and in terms of its narrative scope and thematic grandeur, Norte comes close to truly attaining a novelistic quality, worthy of the authors to whom Diaz looks for inspiration.”

And for Grantland, Wesley Morris wrote on his viewing experience at Cannes: “…the lights went down, the movie came up, and I sat there. Two-hundred-fifty minutes later, the lights came up, I stood with tears in my eyes, and clapped as loudly as I ever have for any movie in my life…”

In the clip below, Fabian (brilliantly played by Sid Lucero) attends a support group to express his grief over committing a serious crime:

And in the next clip, two men in jail discuss the sentiments of freedom and hope, or lack thereof:

Norte, The End of History is playing at the Film Society for an exclusive one-week run from June 20 to 26. Also, if you present your Norte ticket at the box office, you can receive a discounted ticket to a screening of Melancholia on June 22, which kicks off Time Regained: The Films of Lav Diaz, the most complete American retrospective to date of this pioneering filmmaker.