‘All my citizens are satisfied,’ is heard from a radio in a slum district in the Philippines. ‘And anyone who is not satisfied is a criminal. And they have to die.’ The effects of the corrupt political and legal system, supported by this over-simplistic outlook, become visible in the oppressive narrow alleyways of the district where Richard and Raymond grew up. Richard is the leader of one of the countless gangs on the Philippines and is sought by the City Death Squad – a kind of murdering vigilante group, one the government stubbornly argues it doesn’t support. The younger brother Raymond has meanwhile fallen prey to the attraction of another gang. With the dark, raw and very realistic Engkwentro (filmed without artificial light and with only one hand-held camera) the debutant Pepe Diokno wants to attract attention for the distressing situation in his country, where over the last 10 years more than eight hundred teenagers have been killed by the death squads.
Also in this combined programme
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Butterflies Have No Memories
For anyone for whom thirteen hours is too long, here is a real Lav Diaz lasting less than an hour. Filled with nostalgia and hopelessness…
Film details
- Country of production
- Philippines
- Year
- 2009
- Festival edition
- IFFR 2010
- Length
- 61'
- Medium/Format
- HDcam
