Seasoned filmmaker Mike de Leon, one of the country’s most acclaimed and politically outspoken directors, has died at 78.
On Thursday, Aug. 28, De Leon’s family confirmed the news in a statement shared with French film distributor CarlottaFilms.
Known as a “fiercely political” artist, De Leon was behind films that blended sharp social commentary with stories of the marginalized. His career began as cinematographer for Lino Brocka’s “Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag” in 1975, starring Bembol Roco and Hilda Koronel.
He went on to direct acclaimed works including “Itim” (1976), “Kakabakaba Ka Ba?” (1980), “Batch ’81”(1982), and “Sister Stella L.” (1984).
In 2018, De Leon returned with “Citizen Jake,” a critically-acclaimed film featuring award-winning journalist Atom Araullo.
His films reached global stages as well, with “Itim” debuting at the Cannes Film Festival and a retrospective screening at New York’s Museum of Modern Art in 2022.
He also released the short film “Kangkungan” in 2019, a critique of the Duterte administration, and a book, “Mike de Leon’s Last Look Back,” which he called his “photographic memoir of [his] life in cinema.”
