A merchant (Ronnie Lazaro) parts ways with his companions, a pack of nomadic artisans, as a deadly typhoon approaches. With only an ox by his side, he embarks on an aimless excursion with mythical undertones and curious premonitions. This epic, initially conceived as the first part of a diptych celebrating stillness and storytelling in all its forms, has a nine-hour runtime that allows for complete immersion in the title character’s existence, inducing a sustained appreciation of natural beauty and observance of one’s surroundings. But amid the lovely scenery and droll digressions (highlight: a bus driver explains the fabled origins of a town called Princess Lizard), Diaz makes sly but pointed comments about police corruption, government impunity, suffering, and sacrifice.