Metro Manila is a Philippine foreign language film that focuses on the employment dilemma many families in South East Asia face in the modern era.
Filmed in the Philippines in Tagalog (the official language of the Philippines), Metro Manila was independently produced and directed by Sean Ellis.
The film does a tremendous job bringing together the rural and urban worlds of the country together, describing the hardships many live through today.
Filmed in the Philippines in Tagalog (the official language of the Philippines), Metro Manila was independently produced and directed by Sean Ellis.
The film does a tremendous job bringing together the rural and urban worlds of the country together, describing the hardships many live through today.
Synopsis
Metro Manila tells the story of a young couple (Oscar & Mai Ramirez) who are from an impoverished Northern Philippine rice village.With a young daughter and a new baby, the family is in desperate need of money security and are forced to make the expensive, treacherous move to Manila. Once in the city the family discovers just how different Manila is from their old home.
Oscar immediately starts searching for a job and eventually ends up obtaining a job for an armoured truck company. The work is enough to help his family stay secure but soon Oscar begins to see the reality of his job, it is not all as it seems.
He ends up being put in dangerous circumstances and is expected to do things with fatal consequences to others. Oscar is put under pressure by the company when his duties are not fulfilled and realizes he has put the lives of his family at risk.
He ends up being put in dangerous circumstances and is expected to do things with fatal consequences to others. Oscar is put under pressure by the company when his duties are not fulfilled and realizes he has put the lives of his family at risk.
Important Themes
Altogether Metro Manila touches on the struggle many face moving from rural to urban centres in South East Asia as well as shedding light on how much people have to do to provide for their families. Metro Manila details this dangerous game many people like Oscar have to play with large corporations and owners in the Philippines.
The South East Asian region has seen a massive amount of urban growth as many families have had to move from traditional farming villages to urban centres for money.
Within the last decade alone, the farming and agriculture industries in South East Asia (specifically the Philippines) have almost failed, leaving many families in dire conditions.
The film does a brilliant job of outlining the realities average working families face currently.
There is a massive disparity between the rich and the poor in large cities (especially outside of the Eurocentric based society we live in). Many aren't aware of the hardships people have to live through on a day to day basis just so they can get essentials like food, water and shelter.
Within the last decade alone, the farming and agriculture industries in South East Asia (specifically the Philippines) have almost failed, leaving many families in dire conditions.
The film does a brilliant job of outlining the realities average working families face currently.
There is a massive disparity between the rich and the poor in large cities (especially outside of the Eurocentric based society we live in). Many aren't aware of the hardships people have to live through on a day to day basis just so they can get essentials like food, water and shelter.
Conclusion
As a whole Metro Manila definitely is a foreign language film worth watching.The stark realities discussed in the film are a reminder of how the real world works and how life is like for those searching to give their family a better life in the Global South.
And most importantly, Metro Manila offers a very unique and diverse story that we rarely see be discussed in international cinema.
