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Director Baby Ruth Villarama and her crew embark on a range of boats and ships to chronicle the continuing conflict and its effects between the Philippines and the People's Republic of China over authority of the newly designated West Philippine Sea. This vast area, considered by most nations outside of China as within the Philippines' maritime territory, has seen escalating incursions by Chinese vessels. These include fishing boats, many are China's coast guard vessels that have been accused of harassing, intentionally hit, and attempted to board Filipino boats as part of the broader sovereignty dispute.

Portions of the film are undeniably tense, though often the conflict manifests as a war of words of maritime bluster. Officers from the different ships exchange heated radio transmissions, peppered with technical legalese, engaging in a kind of long-distance negotiation.

The Mission Behind the Title

The documentary's name references the ongoing mission by the Armed Forces of the Philippines to resupply foodstuffs to tiny outposts in the West Philippine Sea where troops maintain a presence for extended, lonely tours. These outposts are often just small accumulations of sand in the shallows, about the size of a sports field, accessible only by fast-moving motorized rafts.

The journeys are undoubtedly scary for the livestock being transported, which are loaded alongside tinned food and additional provisions. The film shows the animals scrambling for secure footing as the craft race across the choppy waves.

The Fishermen's Plight

In another segment communities around the more populated Scarborough Shoal, who express concern over decreasing fish hauls attributed to the sheer number of trawlers from China in their ancestral fishing areas.

Fascinating Topic, Flawed Presentation

Critically speaking, the documentary is slightly weakened by a at times meandering narrative approach and a soundtrack that can feel overly tacky, amplifying the emotional beats. However, it is ultimately a fascinating exploration of a maritime conflict that receives little discussion beyond Asia.