A review I wrote of Donor, the multiple-award winning film coming out of the Philippines, for The West of West Review’s coverage of the Victoria Film Festival. To read the rest of my review, just visit The West of West Review by clicking on the link.

“Mark Meily’s Donor takes its viewers into the streets and markets, strip joints and jails of Manila, providing a glimpse into what a woman must do to survive in the underbelly of the Philippines. The movie focuses on Lizette (played by Meryll Soriano), a young woman struggling to make ends meet in the face of government crackdowns and an unhealthy relationship. Lizette works at a street market where she sells bootlegged DVDs and pornography. The little money she makes goes to support her childish, impulsive, and cocky boyfriend, Danny. He has a habit of stealing her savings to buy his friends drinks, undoing any attempt she makes to work her way out of poverty. But Lizette can see a light at the end of the tunnel. She is focused on leaving Manila for a position as a video store clerk in Dubai. To get there, though, she needs money, which is where Jasim comes in. Jasim is a Jordanian businessman in need of a transplant who offers her 100 000 pesos for her kidney. This presents the central conflict of the movie: how far is Lizette willing to compromise her own body for money and the chance to be free?”