Arvin Alindogan Belarmino's previous short, “Life's Pedal” was one of the best shorts we watched during 2020. His most recent work, which he co-directed with Carlo Valenzona, follows the same premises, through an approach, though, that includes at least as much fiction as realism.
“The Guardians” review is part of the Submit Your Film Initiative
The story takes place again in the city slums, beginning with a rather intense fighting scene, where a drunken man is beating his wife because she asked him for money for their baby. The young woman, after getting beaten, manages to retaliate, and escape with her baby in her lap. In another household in the slums, Adeng, a tricycle driver, is also having a fight with his wife, verbal though this time, with her whining and yelling because he is away from home all day long. Adeng leaves cursing, and meets a friend who catches him watching the baby of a family, teasing him for wishing one of his own, something his wife does not seem particularly eager to agree with. A bit later, the initial woman gets in his tricycle, but as she leaves, she abandons her baby in the vehicle. Adeng considers the baby a gift from a higher power and brings it home, to the rage of his wife who does not want to hear anything about it. A bit later, since he has to carry the child with him while he is working, the situation becomes more complicated as people take notice.
Belarmino and Valenzona direct a short film whose narrative is based on three elements. Domestic violence, the life of the poor in the slums of Manila, and in the end, hope, with the three aspects complementing each other in the best way, essentially preventing the film as a whole from becoming either poverty porn or overly dreamy (romantic if you prefer).
The first element is the most obvious one, as the directors highlight the concept in all of the manifestations that can take place within a couple. In that regard, in the first one, we witness raw violence from a man towards a woman, who eventually retaliates though, and in the second, verbal one, which, this time, begins from the woman, before the man “pays back”. The comment is rather evident: domestic violence can come from either side, can have different hypostases, but the consequences are always equally dire.
Furthermore, the two directors seem to state that one of the main causes of this violence is the financial struggle people in the slums face, which puts a rather significant burden on all couples, who barely make ends meet. This element however, is not used as an excuse for what is happening, but simply as the reality of everyday life in the particular setting, with the approach in that regard, being almost documentary-like realistic.
Lastly, the concept of hope concludes the 15-minute short, in a style that suggests that people should never give up, while payback will eventually take place, both for the good and the bad. This part is somewhat romantic, melodramatic and unrealistic, but in connection with the rest of the elements of the context, balances out, while Dominic Carpio's acting as Adeng finds its apogee in this scene.
On a secondary level, the story also deals with alcoholism and the way social media and the press work, although these concepts are not particularly analyzed.
Technically, as in the case of “Life's Pedal” the quality is of the higher level. The way DP Boriz Vicente has captured the slums and the struggles people face behind closed (and open) doors is rather artful, with the antithesis with the almost phantasmagorical ending being captivating. His editing is also excellent, with the frequent cuts that result in a rather fast pace, allowing the filmmakers to tell their story and make their comments without leaving anything out. Furthermore, the pace also induces the narrative with a sense of angst, which is heightened by the yelling of Adeng's wife, adding much to the entertainment the film offers, with Jalyn Tobeneknek giving a memorable performance in the part.
“The Guardians” is on a lower level than “Life's Pedal” particularly because the ending goes a bit too far, giving the otherwise realistic premise an almost fairy tale like essence, even if considering the circumstances in the area, hope is something everything is seeking for. Apart from this however, “The Guardians” is well-shot and quite eloquent in its comments, in another title of high quality by Belarmino.
