Respect

Alberto Monteras II's 2017 Filipino film follows Hendrix, who enters rap battles in Manila. He lives in a poor district and commits small robberies with his friends. During one break-in he enters the shop of an old poet. Doc lived through the martial law years; the narrative sets two generations against each other and draws the line between poetry and rap. The film shows the anti-drug operations of the period directly rather than in the background. The rapper Abra takes the lead. The close is hard and offers no hope. Who it's for: viewers of Filipino independent cinema and hip-hop narratives. Who it's not for: viewers for whom scenes of killing and state violence would sit heavily.