Sharp, satirical indictment of class and gendered power dynamics in the Philippines, through the lens of a teenage girl from a formerly exploited ethnic background working at a golf terrain, in a brilliant debut from Rafael Manuel.
While it has anti-colonial messaging and obvious criticisms of global capitalism, the film rejects a clear-cut oppressor/victim narrative in which the entirety of the Filipino people are portrayed as the perfect victim; instead, Filipiñana takes foremost a class perspective.
The owner of the golf course, from the same ethnic background as the protagonist, will illustrate his elevated standing through Pitch-Perfect English karaoke, spoken Filipino with even more English embedded as the language already has, or his relationship with an internationally known model. Similarly, the niece of the Golf Depot CEO, while initially presented as a more liberal-leaning character living in New York, will surely not pass on the opportunity to avoid any consequences of her actions; actions glanced over by her uncle as entirely inconsequential.
Almost slow cinema, the long, contemplative static shots will surely not be for everyone, but to me they eloquently conveyed the sweltering heat that the working class had to endure while refused access to resources that are otherwise entirely wasted.
Have to make mention of the gorgeous photography. The shot of the tee-girl serving golf balls taken from between the player's legs alone deserves an award in my opinion.