Filipino filmmaking legend Mike de Leon has passed away.
His death was first reported by France-based film distributor Carlotta Films on Thursday, August 28.
The Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) paid tribute to De Leon in a Facebook post, mourning his passing and honoring him as a “voice for the unheard.”
“Mike de Leon shone a light on the beauty and pain of the downtrodden and repressed, bringing their stories to the cultural forefront. May he rest in peace,” the FDCP said in its statement.
FDCP Chairman Jose Javier Reyes also expressed his grief, saying, “His life was dedicated to film. His constant imagination to explore the language of cinema shaped what we understand of Philippine filmmaking today.”
De Leon was regarded as one of the most influential directors of Philippine cinema’s “Second Golden Age”, having helmed notable films including “Itim,” “Kakabakaba Ka Ba?,” “Kisapmata,” “Batch ’81,” “Sister Stella L.” and “Citizen Jake.”
Back in 2022, most of his famous works were previously screened at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.
