Sep 123 min read

Case Study module 02: ASWANG by Alyx Ayn Arumpac

Dear CIRCLE readers, friends and colleagues,

After a bright summer with many exciting news from our dear Alumnae, we head to the second module of our CIRCLE Women Doc Accelerator in Novi Sad, Serbia. We're delighted to welcome our mentors and guest experts as well as our talented 2024 participants.

As in past years, the participants will spend a week with their mentors in activities, workshops, talks, debates on their areas of expertise and working on their individual projects with all the necessary technical, psychological and professional support. In addition, this year we have the participation of Alyx Ayn Arumpac, presenting the case study of her film ASWANG (2019).

Aswang: A Grim Exploration of Duterte’s War on Drugs in the Philippines

The war on drugs in the Philippines, initiated by President Rodrigo Duterte in 2016, is a campaign that has led to over 20,000 deaths, targeting suspected drug users and small-time criminals. Alyx Ayn Arumpac's documentary Aswang delves into this brutal reality, offering a chilling portrayal of the violence that has permeated Filipino society.

A Cinematic Chronicle of Fear and Survival

Aswang traces the lives of people directly affected by the war on drugs. The narrative follows two key figures: Jomari, a six-year-old boy fending for himself while his mother is imprisoned on drug charges, and Brother Jun, a religious brother and photojournalist, documenting the violence and the heartbreaking aftermath of each death. Through their stories, the film reveals the systemic violence, police abuses, and the plight of families living in fear.

In the film, Arumpac shows not just the human cost of Duterte’s policies but the haunting normalization of violence. The streets of Manila become a backdrop to a grim survival game, where the young are coerced into collaborating with the police, and justice seems distant.

The Bigger Picture: Systemic Violence in the Philippines

As Aswang unfolds, it becomes clear that Duterte's war on drugs is more than a crime crackdown—it's a war against the urban poor. Arumpac offers insights into how poverty and crime have become entangled, making it easier for authoritarian rule to take hold. Victims are often from the most vulnerable communities, and the police, emboldened by their unchecked power, carry out executions and extortion with little accountability.

The documentary places this violence within a broader historical context, evoking the horrors of the Marcos dictatorship in the 1970s. Arumpac suggests that history may be repeating itself, with a new era of fear gripping the nation.

The Filmmaker’s Personal Journey

Arumpac’s involvement in the creation of Aswang is deeply personal. As a Filipino, she witnessed firsthand the devastation wrought by Duterte’s policies. Starting her journey in 2016, when the death toll was around 5,000, she partnered with local journalists to capture the nightmarish reality in the streets of Manila. Despite the growing global coverage, the killings continued, and Arumpac's resolve to document these tragedies only intensified.

Her experience behind the camera, especially while covering crime scenes and listening to grieving families, presents an ethical dilemma: How does one portray such grim realities without sensationalizing the suffering?

Aswang and International Acclaim

ASWANG premiered at IDFA, where it won the prestigious FIPRESCI Award. It then was invited to screen at MoMA in New York as part of their Doc Fortnight Documentary Film Festival, True/False, Geneva International Film Festival, One World Prague (where it was nominated for the Jury Prize), and Cinema du Reel. Premiering at IDFA in 2019, Aswang has garnered critical acclaim for its unflinching portrayal of state-sponsored violence in the Philippines. It offers a sobering look into the nation's ongoing human rights crisis, shedding light on the moral decay that has accompanied Duterte’s war on drugs.

The film also raises difficult questions for viewers: How does a democratic society allow such atrocities? What role can individuals and the international community play in addressing this violence?

Conclusion: A Call for Reflection and Action

Aswang is not just a documentary; it's a cry for justice. By immersing viewers in the heart of Duterte’s brutal war on drugs, Alyx Ayn Arumpac has crafted a harrowing yet necessary exploration of the violence that has gripped the Philippines. As the documentary shows, the human cost is immeasurable, and the stories of victims like Jomari and Brother Jun remind us of the urgent need for change.