16 Filipino directors trade cameras for mics to read poetry

From the director’s chair to the microphone, some of Philippine cinema’s biggest names are coming together for a night of poetry.

“[Poetry] humanize[s], to be truthful, to tap at something more spiritual,” Lav Diaz once said of the art form’s role in cinema. The acclaimed filmmaker will now explore that relationship from a different perspective, joining 15 fellow directors in interpreting the poems of filmmaker and poet Khavn at an upcoming QCinema International Film Festival event.

Titled “Absolute Poetry! Auteurs Read the Poems of Khavn,” the gathering brings together some of the country’s most recognizable cinematic voices, including Erik Matti, Antoinette Jadaone, Jun Lana, Joel Lamangan, and National Artist for Film and Broadcast Kidlat Tahimik

The lineup brings together directors whose films span different genres, generations and storytelling approaches. But this time, they will step away from their familiar roles behind the camera to give voice to another artist’s words.

The premise raises an intriguing question: What happens when filmmakers known for telling stories through images are tasked with bringing someone else’s poetry to life? With 16 directors interpreting Khavn’s work, the event offers a rare glimpse into how their artistic sensibilities translate beyond the screen.

The program will also feature six literary works published between 2024 and 2026, including Subtyrranicon from UP Press, Disko Balun-Balunan from UST Publishing House and Antimarcos from Ateneo University Press.

“Absolute Poetry!” takes place on November 21, 2026, at 6 p.m. at Gateway Cinema 6 in Cubao, Quezon City.