Filipino Reviews Reviews

Documentary Review: Aswang (2019) by Alyx Ayn Arumpac

At times shocking documentary about the war on drugs turning into a war on the poor in the Philippines

When Rodrigo Duterte became president of the Philippines, he did so by giving a promise to the public about fighting drugs and drug-related crime in his country. Popular among many Filipinos as well as with representatives of countries like Japan, China and the United States, Duterte's war against drugs is still ongoing and has caused the death of many thousands of people already with the death toll still increasing each day. Duterte's administration has been accused of groups such as Human Rights Watch to encourage the formation of so-called death squads among the police which, in order to meet their quota, kill on the basis of even the faintest of suspicions someone could be related to drugs or using them.

Aswang” is screening at Filmfest Hamburg

Thus, the streets of cities like Manila have become dangerous areas, especially at night with parents urging their children to stay home once the evening has come. However, for her documentary “”, currently screening at , director has gone to these zones, some of which including the poorest parts of the Filipino population to talk with its inhabitants, police officers, coroners and emergency personnel, who need to go into these areas on a daily basis, arriving at a crime scene only to confirm the death of a person.

At the core of her documentary is the image of the Aswang, a mythical creature of Filipino folktales, which, similar to a vampire, sucks the blood of its victims after it has chased them and has rejoiced in the fear of those it has chosen to be its target. Essential for the creature is an atmosphere of fear and helplessness, making it possible for it to strike at any time and impossible to track down. Given the images Arumpac and capture, it is an atmosphere not unlike walking the streets of Manila at night, with the feeling of being watched and falling prey to an enemy which could attack at any time. During the accounts of the people she meets – parents mourning the death of their child, orphans and members of victim-support groups – we get a glimpse of what has now become part of everyday life, a cycle of death, fear and violence.

The night in the city Arumpac shows is eternal and defined by the aforementioned atmosphere of fear. Various images of the victims of the violence emphasize the notion that no one fully escapes this brutality, and thus the insatiable thirst of the Aswang, for the unpredictable nature of the killings along with seemingly no one noticing the wider context of the murders they might as well be the deeds of the mythical monster. Combined with the ongoing support of the anti-drug policies of the administration, Arumpac's feature takes a look at the level of escalation the killings have reached, leaving a trail of bodies and suffering behind them, which, in the end, predominantly targets the poorest of the poor.

In conclusion, “Aswang” is a documentary about the drug war in the Philippines, the cycle of violence, misery and sorrow it has created. Alyx Ayn Arumpac shows a city defined by an endless night and a vague fear which has numbed people and the wider public, making it impossible to see the wider context of the events.

About the author

Rouven Linnarz

Ever since I watched Takeshi Kitano's "Hana-Bi" for the first time (and many times after that) I have been a cinephile. While much can be said about the technical aspects of film, coming from a small town in Germany, I cherish the notion of art showing its audience something which one does normally avoid, neglect or is unable to see for many different reasons. Often the stories told in films have helped me understand, discover and connect to something new which is a concept I would like to convey in the way I talk and write about films. Thus, I try to include some info on the background of each film as well as a short analysis (without spoilers, of course), an approach which should reflect the context of a work of art no matter what genre, director or cast. In the end, I hope to pass on my joy of watching film and talking about it.

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