These days I look at the news, see all the hopelessness going on in our state of affairs and my mind sometimes wanders. At times I wonder what we're even fighting for, if the people and institutions we're fighting against are so entrenched that it often feels hopeless. But there are people who fight anyway, even if it means their lives.
Noni Abao's documentary detailing the lives of three activists and community organizers working with the people of Cagayan Valley could have been a run of the mill talking heads documentary, but Abao manages to capture human moments with his subjects and the people close to them. A lingering shot captures a brave but fragile front. When Amanda Echanis recites a poem about her slain father, we only hear her voice - pushing us to imagine what she is describing in her head, making the words more meaningful in turn. A former colleague of Randy Malayao tells stories of his friend, building up to actual footage of his death.
Bloom Where You Are Planted captures the meaning of struggle, that the meaning is the struggle - we fight not necessarily because we want to win, but because it's the right thing to do. A life given in tribute to the greater good is not a wasted life, but a meaningful one, one that is well-lived.
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