Batang West Side
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| Batang West Side | |
|---|---|
 Official movie poster | |
| Directed by | Lav Diaz |
| Written by | Lav Diaz |
| Produced by | Joey Gosiengfiao |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Miguel V. Fabie III |
| Edited by | Ron Dale |
| Music by | Joey Ayala |
Production companies |
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Release date |
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Running time | 315 minutes |
| Country | Philippines |
| Languages |
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Batang West Side (also known as West Side Avenue and West Side Kid) 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.[1][2] The film gives an inside look at the life of Filipinos in America.[3][4][5][6] With this murder mystery set against the idea of the American Dream, Filipino director Lav Diaz broke into the worldwide arthouse film market.[7]
One winter night, Hanzel, a Filipino teenager immigrant has been fatally shot on West Side Avenue, New Jersey. Detective Mijares is assigned to investigate the teen's murder. As the investigation continues, he unravels not only the death of Hanzel but also the struggles of Filipino-American community including the destructive effects of methamphetamine on the youth.
Cast
- Yul Servo as Hanzel Harana
- Joel Torre as Juan Mijares
- Gloria Diaz as Lolita Fordham
- Angel Aquino as Elvira Pareño
Release
Batang West Side was restored in 2015 by the Austrian Film Museum.[8] The restoration was later picked up by Kani Releasing for a North American theatrical release in April 2025 as part of its 25th anniversary.[8] 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."[8] Kani later released the film on Blu-ray.[9]
Accolades
The film won several awards at the Urian Honors, including Best Picture, Best Director (Lav Diaz), Best Screenplay (Lav Diaz), Best Cinematography, Best Actor (Joel Torre), Best Supporting Actress (Gloria Diaz), Best Supporting Actor, Best Production Design, Best Sound, and Best Score (Joey Ayala).[8] It won Best Picture at the Singapore International Film Festival and the Belgium Independent Film Festival.[10]