The Garden of Earthly Delights

Wow, I'm actually lost for words because there are so many wonderful things to talk about this film. I didn't expect it to be that well-made and captivating given that I came in with an expectation that it might just be another one of those "poverty porn" films. On the contrary, it touched on so many topics, so many aspects, and each of them beautifully presented and just told from a very realistic point of view.

I'm surprised to see that it was a white man who directed and wrote this, and he kind of got grilled during one of the talkback session for being so. I mean, you deserve so much praise for directing and creating this film, and you're very humble for acknowledging how much the local Filipino talents and staff have also contributed to making this very powerful film. Incredibly excellent casting and acting as well! These are not even well-known actors, but it shows how great the team behind this film is to have been able to provide them such a platform, direction, cinematography to really shine!

It's not something new, I guess, because yeah, there's this talk about poverty porn and it being used already in a number of films before, but I believe we can always look at it from a fresh pair of eyes and fresh lenses to see merits of such films. It even covers more than the poverty itself, but also the very humane aspects of the struggles portrayed. Relevance - this still happens and is still an important topic to discuss for both the local society and the foreign parties involved.

Again, each and every aspect perfectly and fairly presented. Choices on the execution, visuals, and imagery are effective, bold, brave, and refreshing. Very humane. No minute wasted. Highly recommended!

What a life-changing film. The story is deeply moving, and at times really hard to watch because it challenges you to feel empathy in places you didn't expect. You sit there, trying not to see what's coming, holding on to the hope of a happy ending, but no, reality isn't happy. It forces you to stop looking away.

Despite the weight of the subject, the film is visually stunning. It's full of colour, lights, rhythm, symbolism: the flowers, the gongs, and that surreal, hallucinogenic scene in the forest. Absolutely mind-blowing!

We were lucky enough to attend a Q&A with Morgan Knibbe himself, and it gave so much context to the process. You can feel the respect and care he put into this work. He absolutely deserves recognition for it. And the young "actors"-who aren't actors at all-especially Ginto, brought so much authenticity. When he said he hoped to create respect, I think he nailed it.

The message is painfully clear, especially for a Western or European audience. It's a direct confrontation with the legacy of colonialism, how it's still glorified, how it's taught with vague language, and how its consequences continue today in forms even harder to detect. Neo-colonialism isn't just history, it's ongoing, layered, and devastating. This film doesn't let you walk away untouched.

I feel I could write more about it, but I'm still processing.