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The Woman Who Left
The Woman Who Left
8.0
/10
346 Ratings

THE WOMAN WHO LEFT

Ang Babaeng Humayo

Directed by Lav Diaz
Philippines, 2016
Drama

Synopsis

Horacia has spent the last thirty years in a women’s correctional facility. A former elementary school teacher, she leads a quiet existence helping others practice reading and writing. When another inmate confesses to the original crime, Horacia is released and seeks out her estranged family.

Synopsis

Horacia has spent the last thirty years in a women’s correctional facility. A former elementary school teacher, she leads a quiet existence helping others practice reading and writing. When another inmate confesses to the original crime, Horacia is released and seeks out her estranged family.

Our take

Taking inspiration from a short story by Leo Tolstoy, Filipino maestro Lav Diaz forges a startling tale of revenge. Shot in the filmmaker’s rich, trademark chiaroscuro, The Woman Who Left is an expansive psychological allegory for the far-reaching ramifications of personal and national trauma.