Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea – A Gripping Journey Through Resupply Routes in the Maritime Dispute.
Filmmaker Baby Ruth Villarama and the documentary team board a variety of maritime vessels to record the continuing conflict and its impacts between the Philippines and China over authority of the newly designated West Philippine Sea. These waters, recognized by most nations outside of China as within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, has seen increasing infiltration by boats from China. Among them are fishing boats, the majority consist of Chinese coast guard ships that have been accused of harassing, intentionally hit, and tried to seize Filipino boats in the context of the broader sovereignty dispute.
Some footage are highly charged, yet mostly the conflict takes the form of a war of words of naval posturing. Officers from the different ships broadcast lengthy speeches over short-wave, filled with diplomatic language, practicing a unique long-distance negotiation.
Sustaining the Outposts
The film's title references the ongoing mission by the Philippine army to transport essentials to isolated garrisons in the West Philippine Sea where soldiers hold the line for long, solitary stretches. These "islands" are often little more than patches of sand in the shallows, no larger than a football pitch, accessible only by high-speed inflatable boats.
These trips prove clearly frightening for the cargo of baby goats, which are crammed in with preserved supplies and other necessities. Footage captures the creatures seeking for a stable position as the boats hurtle across the choppy waves.
The Fishermen's Plight
Elsewhere in the documentary fishers living around the inhabited Scarborough Shoal, who lament over dwindling catches caused by the persistent presence of trawlers from China in their ancestral fishing areas.
A Compelling Subject, Imperfect Execution
In terms of filmmaking, the documentary is slightly weakened by a at times meandering narrative approach and a musical score that can feel overly tacky, overplaying the emotional beats. Yet, it is ultimately a fascinating exploration of a critical subject that gets scant attention beyond Asia.
