Birdshot

This film, was difficult to watch after recently seeing "Despair". Both portrayed the insane brutality, of which we humans are capable. While "Despair" was obviously a contrived work of fiction, "Birdshot" showed a very real situation in the world, where groups feel threatened enough by those in power above them, to abandon their ethical or "moral" principles to survive. It makes me ask,"Who started this chain of submission and why did no one try to stop it, before it got out of control ?". I think of Soviet Russia and how "Party" members murdered so many of their own citizens under Stalin's orders. How far down the hierarchy did this have to go , until it was too late to reverse it ? Are we so needy for social standing and recognition, that we will go along with hideous acts to satisfy this ? Do we value our brief and inconsequential lives so much, that we will not risk them to save so many others, from "immorality" ?. This film, within a very small milieu brings up these difficult questions very powerfully.

I don't think I watched alot of movies from the Philippines, it's not a country I would immediately associate with good movies but actually this one wasn't bad. Okay the plot has some flaws and issues but overal the story is entertaining. Maybe a bit slow and not fully developed but there is a level of suspense on what actually happened. The acting was better than I thought it would be, not that I understand Filipino (even though there are alot of Spanish and English words in that language), but they looked genuine and believable. Nice cinematography, okay actors, and an entertaining story that could have had a better development.

Birdshot is a story of small-town politics, policing and a girl coming of age.

Most people wouldn't know that the film was set around late 80s to early 90s because of the evident lack of technology. However, one can also not notice it because of the countryside (provincial) setting. The film undecidedly wants to identify as a pseudo political and social commentary flick to a youth's struggle. Despite that every scene fills a part of a whole and eventually ends predictably.

It was long ago that I started watching this and got halfway through. Now viewing it again from the start, I do see it merits and how I should watch more Filipino films. It could have ended with a more subtle and stronger final scene but predictably found itself just uncovering most who have guessed early in the film.

The film about the life of a young woman from rural area of the Philippines. She lives with her father who wants to prepare her for adulthood and teach her to be self sufficient. The world turns out to be far more complicated and dangerous than she can imagine at her age. Her actions will eventually draw the attention of local authorities. She and her father appear as victims of a police force whose priorities are at odds with the interests of the community. Rather than spelling out every detail, a subtle symbolism carried the events along as we are allowed, for the most part, to draw our own conclusions.

Fabulous movie, even more so when my Filipina wife shows me some related history around the storyline.