i was only 9 when the news broke out and didn’t realize the severity of what actually happened. while watching, there were moments where i just had to leave my seat to calm myself down. i couldn’t imagine what the families of 58th had been through, most especially Bebot’s whose body is still unrecovered to this day. but what i and the others who have seen this film can do is to remember and never stop seeking justice for all the journalists and innocent victims of political violence in Mindanao and the country as a whole.
There is a kind of hell on earth in hearing stories like this. Some films are difficult to watch not because they are bad, but because the truth they carry is painful. 58th is one of those films.It follows the family of the 58th victim of the Maguindanao Massacre, a member of the media whose body remains unfound, and their continuing fight for justice 17 years later.This is not a film you watch for enjoyment. It is heavy, painful, and nakakagalit. But it is a necessary film. It asks us to sit with a painful part of our history and, more importantly, to be with the people who continue to carry its weight.This is also the first full-length film I've seen that uses rotoscoping animation. Admittedly, I'm not usually a fan of the style, but here, I can understand why it was chosen. It creates a certain distance from the brutality without taking away its emotional weight. It lightens the way the story is presented, but it never lessens the burden of what happened.I can only empathize with the families who have had to shoulder this burden for years--the waiting, the unanswered questions, and the search for justice that continues. And for the family of the 58th victim, there is still the painful reality of having no body to bring home and no closure after all these years. The absence itself becomes another wound they have to carry.Reynafe Castillo, daughter of the 58th victim, is an incredibly brave woman. To continue carrying the fight for justice after all these years takes a kind of strength I can only admire. May God continue to give you and your family more strength to keep going. We are with you in your fight for justice.And huge respect to the journalists who put themselves in danger to document what happened and deliver the truth. Their courage reminds us that journalism can come at a great personal cost, especially when the truth threatens those who would rather keep it buried. Their passion and courage are truly admirable.Kudos to everyone behind 58th for having the courage to tell this story. You took a painful chapter of our history and gave it a face, a voice, and a chance to be remembered....and I sincerely hope the MTRCB allows this film to be screened for more audiences. A film like this deserves to be seen. We cannot only show the stories that are comfortable to watch. We need to confront what hurts, because remembering is part of learning, and learning is how we keep ourselves from becoming numb to injustice. Those who hinder these stories from being told are, in a way, like those who oppress the media from telling the truth.To censor a story like this isn't protection; it’s complicity. Comfortable silence is a privilege we haven't earned. Screen the film, face the truth, and remember the 58th.
I wanted a little more, on a documentary level. The animation gives it a unique aesthetic, but the telling of the story is still very much rooted in the straight reporting of news. That's not bad, exactly, but it just feels like there's stuff left on the table insofar as this is meant to be a cinematic experience.But the subject matter is extraordinary, the movie speaking solemnly about how difficult it is to get justice in this country. The rotoscoping adds a layer of unreality to things, and that feels appropriate for how unreal the massacre still feels, all these years later. How could people have been so brazen? So cruel? You'd like to think that someone might have questioned their orders, might have hesitated before pulling their triggers. It remains unthinkable that it happened, and the movie seems to acknowledge that in its look.There is a body somewhere, and once, it contained a life. And because it hasn't been found, it somehow doesn't count. What a strange thing that is.
