Epic in scope, reach, and length, Lav Diaz's Evolution of a Filipino Family examines the fifteen years of martial law in the Philippines imposed by former President Ferdinand Marcos. At the center of the movie is the Gallardo family, who eke out a marginal existence farming a dour strip of land. In their barrio, the imposition of martial law coincides with a wave of guerrilla activity and a rise in crime and general lawlessness. As their fortunes decline, the family begins to fall apart. Photographed in black and white and relying almost exclusively on natural sound, Evolution was shot over an eight-year period. Throughout the movie, you feel the pull and power of history; at the film's center is Diaz's probing of the Filipino psyche and the wounds inflicted on it by the Marcos regime. Moving and trenchant, Evolution of a Filipino Family is quite simply one of the most extraordinary and ambitious films you will see this year.