Fribourg International Film Festival - Loris S. Musumeci<\/i><\/p>\n
\u00abDuring my term, I will put an end to the drug problem.\u00bb<\/p>\n
Lando (Phillip Salvador) sings a happy \u00abHappy birthday to you!\u00bb at karaoke. Sarah (Gina Alajar), his wife, laughs. Alan (Felix Roco), their son, mingles with the few other friends present for the occasion. Shots suddenly interrupt the party. The police run into the street. A young boy flees; he is promptly shot dead. The crowd gathers around the corpse. The victim's mother comes running. She screams in despair: \u00abMy son is a drug addict, not a dealer! Crushed.<\/p>\n
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Following the previous day's episode, Lando and Sarah recommend the utmost caution to their only son, who is using. In addition, the couple has decided to withdraw from a mafia-like circle of deal<\/em>. The latter takes advantage of his precarious situation to find discreet hands in the drug trade. The risk is twofold: that of President Duerte's frantic, merciless fight, and that of the criminal group that has left, offering them no protection. The day of danger doesn't even pass when Alan disappears. His parents look for him everywhere, in panic, in their sad Manila shantytown.<\/p>\n Dark is the Night<\/em> accumulates good processes that give it flesh and power. Its director, Adolfo Borinaga, has already made a name for himself in Philippine and even Asian cinema. At the age of thirty-nine, his talent as an observer has been elevated by a number of achievements that have given him proven experience. In both sound and image, the details faithfully serve a serious, topical theme: Duerte's menacing crackdown on drugs.<\/p>\n Throughout the film, the President's voice rumbles over the radio. He speaks directly in the first person, assailing \u00abI'm going to kill you\u00bb, \u00abshame on you\u00bb, \u00abI'm going to find you\u00bb. The tone is set from the outset, as is the pace. The viewer is constantly followed by this strong, dictatorial, sizzling voice. It immerses the entire film in permanent anguish. There's no respite: day or night, Duerte's militia can catch you, whoever you are, wherever you are.<\/p>\n The photography duly collects close-ups of frightened faces, particularly Sarah's, revealing her constant droplets of sweat. However, this is not the major directorial skill. It's the handheld camera that does the subject the most good. At a run or with quick steps, it follows the protagonists, sometimes trembling, always agitated. Clearly, this gives Dark is the Night<\/em> a perfectly legitimate documentary aspect. What's more, the filming takes place several times from a hidden corner, placing an obstacle in the image that accentuates the camouflage. Sarah and Lando appear to be being watched and spied on.<\/p>\nA cinema driven by experience<\/h3>\n
Hand-held camera for documentary effect<\/h3>\n