Supply Lines in the Sea: A Review of Food Delivery – A Compelling Trip Along Supply Lines in the Maritime Dispute.

Filmmaker Baby Ruth Villarama and her team travel on a range of sea craft to document the persistent dispute and its impacts between the Philippine nation and the People's Republic of China over sovereignty of the recently named West Philippine Sea. This vast area, viewed by the international community apart from China as within the Philippines' maritime territory, has seen increasing infiltration by Chinese maritime forces. These include fishing boats, most notably maritime militia that have been accused of harassing, intentionally hit, and tried to seize Filipino boats amid the wider territorial conflict.

Portions of the film are undeniably tense, though often the conflict unfolds as a war of words of naval posturing. Officers from each side's boats deliver impassioned speeches over short-wave, filled with diplomatic language, practicing a unique "airwave diplomacy".

Sustaining the Outposts

The film's title highlights the ongoing mission by the Philippine army to resupply foodstuffs to tiny outposts in the West Philippine Sea where personnel are stationed for long, solitary stretches. These outposts are often just small accumulations of sand in shallow waters, about the size of a football pitch, approachable just with speeding rubber dinghies.

These trips prove undoubtedly scary for the cargo of baby goats, which are loaded alongside tinned food and other necessities. The film shows the goats struggling for better balance as the boats hurtle across the open water.

Voices from the Shoal

Elsewhere in the documentary fishers living around the inhabited Scarborough Shoal, who voice complaints over dwindling catches caused by the ongoing activity of Chinese fishing boats in their customary waters.

A Compelling Subject, Imperfect Execution

Critically speaking, the documentary is somewhat hampered by a at times meandering pacing and a musical score that can feel somewhat melodramatic, overplaying the tense scenes. However, it stands as a fascinating exploration of a geopolitical issue that gets scant attention outside its region.