The film presents a "slice of life" and a sad reality for a small river community of guides/boatmen in the Philippines. Although extremely religious, the Philippines is visibly and historically very open an tolerant on the topic of sexuality (transvestites and "bakla"/gay culture is not only tolerated but in many cases celebrated, as seen in the "pageant" scene). Yet at the same time, the film underscores the dichotomy of this perceived tolerance and the defined labels of their society; if you are "bakla", then you are expected to wear dresses and prance around flamboyantly, while if are straight you are expected to get married...although you might be allowed to have sex with men if paid to do so, in which case everyone simply looks the other way...but you'd better NOT enjoy it! Although a bit slow-moving, overall, it was very compelling to watch the story unfold, however it was clear they resorted to gratuitous nudity and sex to keep the audience interested...were this written and edited better, these scenes could have been insinuated or kept out all together. In fact, it started to border on a fetish-film (won't go into specifics) which may in fact limit the viewership. But in the end, the actors (and you can tell for many this is their first/only time acting), the setting and the cinematography make this worth watching.
2 Reviews
youngsters growing up in Philipinnes
ksf-27 October 2016
Warning: Spoilers
SPOILERS -- Turns out there IS a hanging bridge in Calauag, Philipinnes.... called the Yaganak Hanging Bridge. One assumes that this is where the story takes place, but who knows. The young guys earn money by shuttling visitors along the river, and to the hanging suspension bridge. The real money is in providing "extra services" to the male passengers along the dark corners of the riverbanks, under the management of "Taliyah", the drag queen. Lots of fluid sexuality. anything for the money. Alfred (Ryan Dungo) is proud to have avoided giving those extra services, since he has a girlfriend, and wants it to be special when he is ready. The girlfriend Cecilia ( Martina Wilson) is clearly getting frustrated, and is under the watchful eye of her father. Alfred has emotional things going on in his head... he looks after his father, and with the little bits of flashbacks, we are shown that there was sex and violence in the past for Alfred and Cecilia's parents. Eventually both Alfred and Cecilia are dabbling in sexual encounters. Good things happen, bad things happen, and there is a HUGE, violent blow-up. Alfred and Cecilia search each other out, and realize that being with someone who makes you happy and cares for you is more important than waiting for the perfect time and place. A warm and fuzzy ending. cute story. PS. SAGWAN.. the title means "Paddling" in Tagalog. Directed by Monti Parungao, who has done numerous projects about the Philipinnes. Worth watching. Good entertainment!
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
