not just because i am proud to be Filipino
synopsis and the reviews of this movie...
In the town of Cavite, Philippines, people will do just about anything to survive. This is the harsh reality for many Filipinos living in a poverty stricken nation.
Adam, an American citizen visiting his home country for his father's funeral, soon realizes this when he arrives at the Philippines Airport and receives a phone call from an anonymous caller letting him know that his mother and sister have been kidnapped and will be killed if he doesn't comply with his demands. Helpless and alone in a country he barely knows he must submit himself to the fanatic's every wish or face the consequences.
Soon Adam realizes that the caller on the other end is with the country's most infamous bandits, the Abu Sayyaf, a Muslim terrorist group fighting the Philippine government for Muslims to own the southern part of the country. Known for their kidnap and ransom and beheading of their victims if demands aren't met, he is at the caller's mercy.
But when he finds out the caller's real motivation Adam finds himself in a dilemma to sacrifice the ones he loves or commit a horrendous act that will cost the lives of many.
"A dark, riveting thriller" ~LA TIMES
"Among the most striking American independent movies of the year" ~NY Times
"One of those blistering no-budget thrillers, like Open Water or Detour, in which the film's economy of means is the trigger for its ingenuity." ~Entertainment Weekly
"taut and clever thriller" ~The New Yorker
"Mr. Dela Llana and Mr. Gamazon get into some locations that haven't been seen in the West since Lino Brocka's provocative, politicized Philippine melodramas of the 70's and 80's. " ~NY TIMES
"A taut, stylish, minimalist thriller." ~NY POST
"Landmark in diaspora cinema." ~VILLAGE VOICE
"Pic departs from genre convention with an ending that delivers impressive impact. For a guerilla-style, no-budget Yank indie to even tackle issues of jihad terror and naive Western thinking is noteworthy in itself, but Gamazon and Dela Llana inflame the issues with a gutsy, athletic filmmaking package that shows what can be done with a minimum of tools. ~VARIETY
"Guerilla filmmaking at its finest." ~HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
"A breathless, jugular thriller." ~LA WEEKLY
"I've seen Cavite three times now in the span of 36 hours, first to appreciate the thrilling bare-bones narrative (Blair Witch Project meets Phone Booth, only much, much better), then to marvel at the ingenuity of two young filmmakers spinning gold out of tinfoil, then to gawk at the masterful craft of a movie that looks as though it had been made by old pros." ~DALLAS OBSERVER
"Smart, tense,raw and uncompromising, "Cavite" throws you into a verite first-person nightmare with the bruising, single-minded intensity of "The Blair Witch Project" and the topical fervor of today's headlines. ~AUSTIN STATESMAN
"A remarkable film that is interesting and appropriately contemporary in style as well as subject..."Cavite" is a thoughtful and skillfully developed story and a true Independent film. If you have a chance to see it, do." ~FILMTHREAT
"This film captures the essence of independent filmmaking by working with a non-existent budget and delivering a worthwhile film with an amazing message. ~COMINGSOON.NET
"Anchored by an excellent lead performance by (co-writer, co-director) Gamazon, "Cavite" throws your expectations to the wind and just hopes you'll come along for the ride. It's fast-paced and grittily entertaining, but never in that safe and generic way that most Hollywood thrillers shoot for. ~EFILMCRITIC
"Cavite" is a must-see. ~ASIANWEEK
"...astonishingly well-made thriller." ~KANSAS CITY STAR
"..more absorbing, provocative and intense than most major studio films with multimillion dollar budgets." ~DAILY TEXAN
"...the film effectively conveys the tension and terror of Adam's plight." ~AUSTIN CHRONICLE
"a thought-provoking, edge-of-your-seat thriller... " ~MOVIEHOLE.NET
"Where this film differs from those more forgettable Hollywood thrillers is in it's setting: the film takes place in the Philippines, and the filmmakers use their story as an excuse to explore this culture in vivid, fascinating detail. In addition, they take the premise to places, narratively that no Hollywood film would ever dare go. The climax of Cavite is upsetting and honest, and completely elevates the film from the status of a traditional nail biter." ~AINTITCOOL
"Dela Llana and Gamazon fashion a work that's both avant-garde and Hollywood... "
~FILMMAKER MAGAZINE