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Here is an honest representation of the mixed feelings of youth in developing nations about their future in their countries, where it seems there may be little promise for them. Like the rest of the world swayed by film, television, and magazines, America must be the land of opportunity, especially if one has an easy way to get in, such as birthright. This is the short story of a high school boy who, upon graduation, will move to the United States to join his expatriate parents. He's been raised by a grandfather in the Philippines where schooling is cheaper.
There's only one catch. He must graduate, and that will depend upon his successful completion of an essay question: "What's Wrong with the Filipinos?" It is assigned by a Filipino-born teacher who has lived in the United States so long he no longer speaks Tagalog. The video is redolent with the theme of doubt and self-loathing as the student researches his paper - sometimes artfully expressed, sometimes foolishly and clumsily, but nonetheless poignantly.
The video, made in 1990, is dated by its political references, and the low budget shows from inferior duplication to the inferior subtitles. Nonetheless, it is still appealing and even laudable as the story of one young Filipino "everyman" who migrates to the greener pastures of America only to find he has to compromise his identity to fit in, and to hold two or three jobs just to break even. Tagalog is spoken throughout and is refreshing, making this ideal for a native-speaking audience, but weak subtitles can make it otherwise taxing.
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