Batang West Side
Batang West Side is a 2001 Philippine crime film. The film written and directed by Lav Diaz based on his 1997 Palanca Award winning screenplay. Its cast includes Gloria Diaz, Raul Arellano, Joel Torre and Angel Aquino. The film gives an inside look at the life of Filipinos in America. With this murder mystery set against the idea of the American Dream, Filipino director Lav Diaz broke into the worldwide arthouse film market.
Cast
Release
Batang West Side was restored in 2015 by the Austrian Film Museum. The restoration was later picked up by Kani Releasing for a North American theatrical release in April 2025 as part of its 25th anniversary. About the re-release, Kani Releasing co-founder Ariel Esteban Cayer added: "Our goal was to make the film more widely available and put it back in the theaters, where the conditions are ideal for it, as it is five hours long. People who love Batang West Side have managed to see it in various ways throughout the years, but I hope giving it an official re-release outside of Austria elevates its profile even more, which is a great honor to work on." Kani later released the film on Blu-ray.
Accolades
The film won several awards at the Urian Honors, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Production Design, Best Sound, and Best Score. It won Best Picture at the Singapore International Film Festival and the Belgium Independent Film Festival.