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[ra-chives]

“PAMILYA ORDINARYO”

2016's ‘Pamilya Ordinaryo, Directed by Eduardo Roy Jr.

Is a family portrait of Jane, 16, and her boyfriend, Aries, who live on their own in the chaotic streets of Manila. Surviving as pickpockets, the lives of the young couple change when they suddenly become teenage parents. But not even a month into parenthood, their child is stolen from them. In order to retrieve the child, the young couple is forced to take desperate measures.

 I was nearly a teenage parent. I was a stupid, rebellious kid with an on-and-off, "ride or die" girlfriend who was also stupid and rebellious and eventually lived with me (at my parent's house) due to "an unstable living situation."

During our senior year, she had gotten expelled from school for retaliating against someone who picked on her gay brother; I had also gotten expelled for essentially retaliating against those responsible for it all. And there we were—two notoriously impulsive, irresponsible kids in an unhealthy relationship about to have a kid. We were the definition of "not ready for that responsibility" for various reasons that I won't get into here. Had we stayed together (seriously, the relationship was toxic as fuck) and if we had had a child together, it would've been a nightmare for all those involved, including the baby.

Ordinary People is an infinitely bleak portrait of two stupid, rebellious street kids in a toxic relationship who have a baby together. To me, it works as a persuasive advertisement for why teens shouldn't have children. They virtually always lack the emotional tools and material resources necessary to provide the care a baby deserves. Kids can't raise kids, even less so when destitute and living on the streets.

The film's dire world is fleshed out with opportunistic media types, ain't-shit-cops who personify the term ACAB, and predatory bamboozlers donning the mask of altruistic do-gooders who all exploit the vulnerable for self-interest.

I mainly appreciate the ethos that imbues this dire world, as it mirrors the cruelty and indifference that's part and parcel of daily life. Whether one chooses to acknowledge it or not, and irrespective of your level of exposure to these harsh realities, Ordinary People is, at least in part, a reflection of struggles routinely greeted with contempt, diminished in significance, invisibilized, and blended into the tapestry of everyday backgrounds. It forces the viewer to witness oppressive economic and class disparities rendered ordinary. (Whether or not you believe this film does a good job of exploring these issues is a separate discussion. At minimum, said issues are highlighted, even if only indirectly or understated.) The movie itself is solid, though it isn't quite remarkable, mainly due to its simplistic story simply not being incredibly compelling in addition to not really having characters you care that much for.

Perhaps the best thing about Ordinary People is the strong performances, which are both good and bad. It's "good" in the sense that the characters are believable, they feel lived in, and you can almost taste their desperation. It's "bad" insofar as how goddamn frustrating it was watching the two main characters repeatedly make mind-numbingly foolish decisions that cause you to internally groan and shout within yourself, "Of course a kid would do that dumb shit!" 🥴😖

Also, warning: contains a scene depicting transantagonistic violen.. 🤬

-roseeiie🌹

[ra-chives]

“ISKA”

Movie Review

Title: Iska

Year released: 2019

Genre: Drama

Iska is an indie film entry in the 2019 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival and has won several awards. The movie is about a grandmother named Iska whose grandson has autism. Iska is a very loving and caring grandparent to his 10-year-old grandson, Dongdong.

The parents of Dongdong ran away from their responsibilities, and his grandparents believed that the reason behind it was because their son was a special child. Iska always looks out for her grandson, despite her situation in life. She works in a photocopying station at a state university and also works as a maid for a professor. It was also depicted in the movie that they lived in a slum area where they had neighbors who always fought, and the whole neighborhood could always hear them arguing.

Aside from taking care of Dongdong and working to provide for their family, Iska has a husband, a tricycle driver, who abuses her and forces her to have sexual intercourse with him even when Dongdong is around. Not only that, Iska’s husband, whom she calls "Asungot", still has the nerve to have a relationship with a younger woman when he doesn’t even give anything to Iska for their daily expenses or even for his own grandson. As Iska goes on with her daily life, challenges continue to come her way, and she strongly faces each one despite how hard it is.

For me, the movie opens a whole new perspective for each of its viewers. It shows real-life situations of people who are suffering from poverty and also situations that not a lot of people understand. They demonstrated in the film how hard it was for people who don't have much in life to carry on with their lives, especially when they are already old, easily become sick, and don't have any financial support for their daily expenses. Physical and sexual abuse were also depicted in the movie; it was shown how Iska was abused by her husband, and there was a time when she couldn’t even fight back. Iska even has hypertension, but she continues to work because she needs to provide for her grandson, and that situation can be seen nowadays as well, where people who are already old still have to work or sell products in the streets, even when it's hot outside. The movie showed how strong and loving Iska was—for the way she fought when she'd had enough and for the way she loved Dongdong unconditionally, even when Dongdong couldn’t reciprocate it.

After watching the movie, I felt emotional because what was shown in the movie is what you can actually see in the real world. Also, I had some realizations. First, we should appreciate everything we have, no matter how small or big it is, because other people struggle just to have the life that you take for granted. Another is that people who are in similar situations to Iska do not have the voice to speak out for themselves because they are less fortunate. Less fortunate people are in the situations that roar the loudest, yet they remain unheard by many, and in the movie, it was depicted how activism helps them exclaim louder as they demand change.

-roseeiie🌹

[ra-chives]

“Being Comfortable Without Effort”

Being Comfortable Without Effort is the book for you if you're seeking for anything to help you remember to respect your process.This book, as well as I Decided to Live as Me, were written by Soo-hyun Kim. With the author's everyday experience of leading a chilling but purposeful life, it has the potential to console you.This book has given me a lot of advise on how to love myself, how to manage relationships, and how to deal with the everyday things in life, if the book You Are a Badass encouraged me to keep going.

When you have a balanced life and don't pressure yourself to succeed all the time, you will be able to work consistently.

This book serves as a reminder for readers not to push themselves to live. It has motivated me to work honestly and diligently without doing myself any harm. Despite the fact that I am enthusiastic about what I do, I do not empty myself in one sitting.The comparison points in our lives—career, marriage, vehicles, appearances, homes, annual salaries, etc.—keep lining up.

Every day, I push myself to work harder just because I have to. I know this is wrong. Work-wise, I treat my five families as one. This book, however, seems to slow me down while it speaks to me. I've been constantly aware of my life, overlooking things that need to be prioritized. I've learned to be more ardent about what I do without losing sight of myself.

Instead of focusing on those who have harmed us, let's focus more on those who love us.

Everyone can relate to this remark. I wish for you, the reader of this blog, to always cherish and adore the people that truly matter. Try to be more optimistic about life and let go of the people who have damaged you.

-roseeiie🌹

[ra-chives]

-'The Sniper' is about two men locked in a battle to the death. The main character is a Republican sniper fighting in the Battle of Dublin. He lights a cigarette and gives away his position to an enemy sniper across the street. Now, he has to kill the enemy sniper if he wants to escape the rooftop. An armored car pulls up in front of his building, and an old woman tells the men inside that there is a Republican sniper on the roof. The gunner in the truck opens the top hatch to look. The Republican sniper shoots the man and then the old woman, but he is unable to kill the car's driver. While he is killing the two people in the street, the enemy sniper shoots him in the arm, rendering him unable to use his sniper rifle. The armored car drives off, and the sniper realizes he does not have long before reinforcements arrive.

He tricks the enemy sniper into shooting his hat, and then he plays dead until the sniper stands. Then he kills the enemy sniper with his revolver. Watching the man fall to the street below, the sniper feels a sudden rush of sadness and frustration at the war's futility. Even though it is dangerous, he exits the building and goes across the street to see the face of his victim. When he turns the body over, he realizes he is looking at his brother.

-roseiie🌹

[ra-chives]

How I Broke, and Botched, the Brandon Teena Story

Teena Brandon, also known as Brandon Teena, was a twenty-one-year-old woman who dressed "like a male" and was viciously attacked by John Lotter and Marvin Nissen on December 24, 1993. When Brandon rejected Lotter's advances at a gathering in Richardson County, Nebraska, Lotter grabbed Brandon's hands and Nissen dragged her panties and pants to the ground. Later, after the two men had confined Brandon in the restroom, Lotter held the door shut as Nissen kicked, stepped on, and beat Brandon in the head. After dragging Brandon outside, the men got in their car and headed to an isolated area where they individually sexually assaulted her. Nissen repeatedly assaulted Brandon after the rape and yelled at her to keep the incident a secret.

The next day, Brandon went to the police and was questioned by Deputy Olberding and Charles Laux, who was Richardson County's legitimately elected sheriff at the time. In a three-page written statement, Brandon described the rape and abuse. Laux grilled Brandon on the incident, telling him that it was important to do so in order to make his case to the county attorney. Laux questioned Brandon about why she mingled with women rather than men and why she dressed "like a man." Laux had two more follow-up visits with Brandon, but he canceled them because she was worried about his abuse.

Transgender violence is the result of a unique convergence of "truths" regarding the body, gender identity, and sexuality. Such violence is largely the result of dehumanization; people who cannot be classed as either male or female based on binary sexual differences are frequently seen as less than human. Gender issues, however, do not negate the existence of transgender violence. Brandon Teena was not killed only because of his transgender identity; it important that he was a biological woman. Violence against FTM transgendered people is influenced by specific assumptions around the boundaries of the feminine body, identity, and sexuality. The distinctive and particularly harsh patterns of abuse that women's bodies are subjected to through acts of sexual violence would therefore be denied if transgender issues were not included in broader feminist attempts to address sexual violence.

We need to combine feminist initiatives to expand legal options for sex crime victims with an understanding of the distinctive manifestations and repercussions of gender-based hate crimes in order to ensure the visibility of transgender violence within feminist politics. Under the Hate Crimes Statistics Act, the Justice Department reported 5,852 cases in 1994, ranging from verbal harassment to murder. 780 of these incidents had homophobic undertones. Hate crimes against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and other communities continue to be a national epidemic, as Elizabeth Birch, Executive Director of the Human Rights Campaign, testified before the Senate, and the widespread issue of underreporting sex-based crimes makes it difficult to gather reliable data. A crucial step would be for feminists to commit to making hate crimes more visible.

-roseiie🌹

[ra-chives]

But why, Dad? …

Growing up, I idolized or adored you.

I always said that when I grow up, I want to be like you. I want to be successful like you—a good husband, a good brother, a good father, and a good son.

I idolize you to the point where I prefer you over my mom.

But as I grew up, the image you had in my head started to deteriorate.

You’re not the person I perceive you to be.

You lied; you put on a mask that can fool anyone.

You're not a good husband because you cheat.

You're not a good friend because you lied.

And you're not a good dad because you would rather spend time with your other woman than spend time with us.

It kills me inside to know something that I shouldn't.

You put me in the position where I pity myself and my mom for being such fools.

And it makes me think: what else did you lie to us about?

But why, Dad?

Why don't you appreciate what you already have?

Why do you have to find another woman to love?

When you were here, your family that you have

I hate you because even after all you’ve done, all the secrets you keep keeping

I still respect you as my dad.

I hate it because I still love you, Dad.

But why all people, why you, Dad?

-roseiie🌹

[ra-chives]

When the loads were too heavy,You were there to carry it.

When the skies became too blue,You were there to turn the sun orange.

When the bruises were too painful,You were there to ease it.

When the night was too tiring,You were the bed I slept on.

When dinner couldn't make me full, you were there to feed what I craved.

When no one else cared,You were there to show you did.

When the desire to live became inadequate, you were the sufficient reason.

When I told you I didn't like my name,You were there to tell me how much you loved it.

When my father disapproved of me,You were there to accept who I was.

-roseiie🌹