A Review

"Cavite"
By Jonathan O. Susvilla

Cavite
A film by Neill dela Llana & Ian Gamazon
Tagalog with English subtitles - 80 minutes
Original Release Date: 2006
Cast: Ian Gamazon, Dominique Gonzalez
and Jeffrey Lagda
Available to American audiences via Netflix

In a movie that took just 10 days to make and with just roughly a $7,000 budget, one would think there's not much to anticipate. But with creativity and an inventive idea, this movie takes micro financed filmmaking to the next level. Only Blair Witch Project (1999) thus far, pulled off a similar feat under similar circumstances. With the advent of digital technology, filmmaking becomes more and more accessible even to newcomers, Ian Gamazon and Neill dela Llana. A perfect blueprint for filmmaker hopefuls who don't have the means and armed only with an idea, Cavite is bold, cunning and develops into a convincing thriller.

A movie that will keep foreign tourists away from Cavite—or worse, the Philippines as a whole—Cavite is more than just a political thriller. It exposes the deteriorating outskirts of Metro Manila, and projects its, thus vindicating what critic Claire Danes wrote about Manila; a piece that earned her a persona non grata status. Though some shocking claims in the movie about the country are exaggerated and inaccurate, disturbing scenes reveal realities that undeniably exist. Filipinos are either unaware or apathetic to the point of ignorance.

Adam (Gamazon) works at a San Diego Harbor as a Security Guard, which allows him an inordinate time for video games and a sure fire way to grow a noticeable paunch. His mother calls from the Philippines with the news that his father has been killed in a bus bombing. His girlfriend in the meantime has decided to have an abortion, informing him only after the fact. Bombarded by bad news, Adam flies home to attend his father's funeral. He arrives at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and is waiting to be picked up. When a cell phone rings, an Abu Sayyaf member on the other line informs him that his family has been kidnapped by their group. Now Adam is forced to follow their instructions or his family will be killed.

On a public jeepney, as instructed, Adam is led down the streets of Cavite City . He is introduced to the populated city slums where the toilet is just mostly anywhere, solid wastes float alongside children swimming in swamps, children ready to sell themselves for prostitution abound, and extreme poverty is sweeping. On foot, Adam is tested in ways both silly and horrendous as to how far he will go to save his family. He later learns that the whole misfortune is to a certain extent linked to a vendetta for an act his father committed years back. In the end, Adam is made to do something he'll never forget.

The movie illustrates how severe extremist rebels can be and how far they can go just to see their plans carried out. The movie both rationalizes and criticizes terrorism in the country. The film exposes the decades old rationale, " Mindanao belongs to the Muslims" to support terrorist tactics legitimizing a call for Jihad (Holy War in defense of the Islamic faith). A lapsed Muslim himself, Adam counters with an interesting definition of Jihad: "I struggle everyday of my life to better myself. That's Jihad, not the way you do it."

The retelling of the many atrocities committed on the Muslim people in Mindanao by the military and the lack of government reforms maintains interest in the film's narrative. Without taking sides, the movie in the end shows Adam's girlfriend Dana (Dominique Gonzalez) explaining her reasons for ending her pregnancyt: "I panicked when I found out I was pregnant. You know, I'm ashamed for saying this and I'm even ashamed for thinking this, but I can't have a baby that's Muslim. I never thought I'd have to say that but I can't help the way I feel."

The film's flaws are evident; the filmmakers' budgetary constraints notwithstanding. The script's lapses in the grammatical use of Tagalog is irksome. For a Filipino moviegoer, listening to a speaker's intonation and unacceptable accent can be an uncomfortable viewing experience. Errors in translations show up in the English subtitles. But all these are barely discernible to most viewers of foreign films and can even be dismissed if one thinks about what this movie has accomplished: an exposé of the country's ills via a terrorist vendetta plot.

Though already seen in various horror films, Cavite 's edgy camerawork with no known focus is fitting, thus notable, enhancing the distress suggested by the situation. Gamazon, as Adam, the protagonist, somehow scores an almost convincing portrayal of a victim terrorized by fear and the unknown. Add to that the raw third world setting, which elevates the audience's dread of the unknown. Whatever message the filmmakers wish to impart to their audience, it is channeled tactfully, and avoids the temptation to being preachy.

Photos courtesy of the producer from the film presskit.

© Jonathan Susvilla

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