Born in 1958 and raised in Mindanao, Lav Diaz works as a director, writer, producer, editor, cinematographer, poet, composer, production designer, and actor. His work often draws on the social and political struggles of the Philippines, and has won awards at Venice Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival, Locarno Film Festival, and others. Some of his works include Melancholia (2008), The Woman Who Left (2016), and Essential Truths of the Lake (2023). He won Golden Lion at Venice Film Festival with The Woman Who Left.