A gripping film captures the fraught contests, lonely outposts and human toll of the Philippines’ struggle to assert sovereignty against ChinaDirector Baby Ruth Villarama and her crew board an assortment of maritime vessels to record the ongoing strife and its consequences between the Philippines and China over control of what has recently been named the West Philippine Sea (WPS), formerly part of the South China Sea. This area, which is seen by just about everyone (apart from the People’s Republic of China) as part of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, has been increasingly infiltrated by Chinese boats, some of them fishing vessels but mostly Chinese coast guard vessels that have harassed, rammed and attempted to board Filipino boats as part of the dispute over sovereignty in the area. Some of the footage seen here is pretty tense, although mostly it’s a game of bluster at sea, with officers on different vessels exchanging puffed-chest speeches peppered with legalese over short-wave radios, a kind of airwave diplomacy.The film’s title refers to the ongoing efforts by the Filipino army to deliver foodstuffs to some of the tiny islands in the WPS where soldiers hold the line, literally, for long lonely stretches. And when we say “islands”, we’re talking about dollops of sand in shallow waters no bigger than a football pitch, accessible only by inflatable motorboats travelling at frightening speeds. They are certainly scary for the poor baby goats, loaded along with canned food and other supplies that we see scrambling for better footholds as the boats go zooming across the waves. Elsewhere, we follow fishers living in the more populated Scarborough Shoal who complain they are catching less due to Chinese fishing boats in the area. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/dec/09/food-delivery-fresh-from-the-west-philippine-sea-review-gripping-trip-along-supply-lines-in-china-standoff">Continue reading...</a>

فيلم جديد من إخراج بيبي روث فيلاراما يستكشف التوترات البحرية المستمرة بين الفلبين والصين حول بحر الفلبين الغربي، مسلطًا الضوء على الأثر البشري لهذا النزاع على السيادة. يوثق الفيلم تجارب الصيادين الفلبينيين والأفعال العدوانية للسفن الصينية، بما في ذلك سفن خفر السواحل، التي قامت بمضايقة القوارب المحلية، مما يوضح الوضع الحرج في هذه المنطقة المتنازع عليها.

Una nueva película dirigida por Baby Ruth Villarama explora las tensiones marítimas en curso entre Filipinas y China sobre el mar de Filipinas Occidental, destacando el impacto humano de esta disputa de soberanía. El documental captura las experiencias de los pescadores filipinos y las acciones agresivas de los barcos chinos, incluidos los de la guardia costera, que han hostigado a los barcos locales, ilustrando la situación precaria en esta región en disputa.

Un nouveau film réalisé par Baby Ruth Villarama explore les tensions maritimes en cours entre les Philippines et la Chine concernant la mer des Philippines occidentale, mettant en lumière l'impact humain de ce conflit de souveraineté. Le documentaire capture les expériences des pêcheurs philippins et les actions agressives des navires chinois, y compris ceux de la garde côtière, qui ont harcelé les bateaux locaux, illustrant la situation précaire dans cette région contestée.

A new film directed by Baby Ruth Villarama explores the ongoing maritime tensions between the Philippines and China over the West Philippine Sea, highlighting the human impact of this sovereignty dispute. The documentary captures the experiences of Filipino fishermen and the aggressive actions of Chinese vessels, including coast guard ships that have harassed local boats, illustrating the precarious situation in this contested region.

Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea review – gripping trip along supply lines in China standoff

Disney’s “Zootopia 2” stayed on top of China’s weekend box office with RMB818.5 million ($115.3 million), driving its cumulative to RMB3.05 billion ($429 million), according to Artisan Gateway. Daylight Entertainment’s “Gezhi Town,” released Dec. 6, opened in second place with $23.8 million. Directed by Kong Sheng and written by Lan Xiaolong, the film tells the [&#8230;]

حققت التكملة المتحركة لشركة ديزني، 'زوتوبيا 2'، مرة أخرى صدارة شباك التذاكر في الصين، حيث حققت 818.5 مليون يوان (115.3 مليون دولار) خلال عطلة نهاية الأسبوع، مما رفع إجماليها إلى 3.05 مليار يوان (429 مليون دولار). يستمر نجاح الفيلم في تسليط الضوء على شعبيته في السوق الصينية، بعد افتتاح عالمي قياسي بلغ 556 مليون دولار خلال عطلة عيد الشكر.

La secuela animada de Disney, 'Zootopia 2', ha vuelto a liderar la taquilla en China, ganando 818,5 millones de RMB (115,3 millones de dólares) durante el fin de semana, lo que eleva su total a 3,05 mil millones de RMB (429 millones de dólares). El éxito de la película sigue destacando su popularidad en el mercado chino, tras un lanzamiento global récord de 556 millones de dólares durante el fin de semana de Acción de Gracias.

La suite animée de Disney, 'Zootopia 2', a de nouveau dominé le box-office chinois, générant 818,5 millions de RMB (115,3 millions de dollars) ce week-end, portant son total à 3,05 milliards de RMB (429 millions de dollars). Le succès du film continue de souligner sa popularité sur le marché chinois, après un lancement mondial record de 556 millions de dollars pendant le week-end de Thanksgiving.

Disney's animated sequel 'Zootopia 2' has once again topped the China box office, earning RMB818.5 million ($115.3 million) over the weekend, bringing its total to RMB3.05 billion ($429 million). The film's success continues to highlight its popularity in the Chinese market, following a record-setting global opening of $556 million during Thanksgiving weekend.

Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea review – gripping trip along supply lines in China standoff

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