Film archive, 2026

Let Us Through, Dear Ancestors

Makikiraan Po

Director Lav DIAZ

2Festival entries

★Avg. rating

The Philippines under Spanish colonial rule in 1617. Father Enciso rules with violence, indulges in sexual exploitation, dismisses the indigenous people’s folk beliefs as savage, and forces them to convert to Catholicism. He orders his son Dungwen to transport blocks of marble for the construction of a church, and Dungwen and others must travel over 50 kilometers along a perilous route to evade the notorious robber Baribari. The church Father Enciso seeks to build is not a sacred symbol of salvation but evidence of violence, stained with the blood and forced labor of the indigenous people. Lav Diaz, who had shaken the mythical origins of colonialism in his previous film Magellan (2025), turns to the micro-level material foundations through which colonial order is established - land, labor, and religion. The original Tagalog title, ‘Makikiraan Po’ meaning ‘let us through,’ is a desperate plea for passage toward a history and community that have been cut off. Summoning the ghosts and memories of violence hidden behind Western order, this film is a record of Diaz’s fierce resistance and self-reflection as he seeks to reconstruct an archive of erased history.

Stills3

Film details

Director: Lav DIAZ
Country/Region: Philippines
Year: 2026
Length: 151min
Original language: Filipino
Elsewhere: Letterboxd IMDb Wikidata TMDB Douban

Director

Lav DIAZ

Born in 1958 in Cotabato, Lav Diaz is a filmmaker based in the Philippines. He is renowned for his contemplative narrative style and extensive exploration of the Filipino socio-political landscape through cinema. Diaz has profoundly influenced the international film scene with his unique approach to duration and storytelling.

From Tokyo International Film Festival 2026, No. 39

Credits

Director: Lav DIAZ
Executive producer: Bradley LIEW, Lovi POE
Producer: Bianca BALBUENA, Montgomery BLENCOWE, Hazel ORENCIO
Cast: Christian BABLES, Bart GUINGONA, Yul SERVO, Ronnie LAZARO, Isabel SANDOVAL, Rafa SIGUION-REYNA, Bong CABRERA
Production company: Epicmedia Productions Inc, Sine Olivia Pilipinas
World sales: Heretic

Festival appearances2

Choose a festival entry to see its screenings, articles and audience reviews.

Let Us Through, Dear AncestorsTokyo International Film Festival 2026, No. 39World Focus

Let Us Through, Dear AncestorsBusan International Film Festival 2026, No. 31Icons

Festival history2

东京国际电影节, 2026World Focus, Official selection 釜山国际电影节, 2026Icons, Official selection

Film posters

Poster language