filipino

Foreign Bodies
$7.99
One leaves viewing this movie feeling that the Canadian authorities are nearly as criminal as the thugs that run the brothel where the young girls are being forced into prostitution. After spending the whole movie with a detective drawing out Chanida's story to be able to prosecute the men involved, she is sent back to her home country. Not to a better life, but to face the part of the gang in her home country that sold her into prostitution, only this time in much worse conditions than in Canada. In short, both the pimps and the police were interested in Chanida only to serve their own purposes, not hers. But then, maybe that is the whole point of the movie.

The single aspect of the movie that didn't ring quite true to me was to have a male detective interviewing her. I think it would virtually always have been a woman officer who would deal with a teen girl involved in commercial, criminal sex. (Maybe if they had a woman talking to her, she would have tried to find a way to protect Chandia.) There is quite a bit of nudity of fifteen-year-old Chandia (she is called 'Joy' by the people in the brothel), full, sexually related nudity. It doesn't come close to being pornographic, but it is realistically depicted prostitute nakedness. The language isn't as bad as what one might expect from such people.

This isn't a great movie, but it certainly is worth watching, especially if one likes movies about the dregs of society. Or, if one wants to see a movie about a teen who has no hope of improving her situation (thanks to the insensitivity of some immigration laws). It is important to also remember that this movie is based on an actual case of one living, Filipino teen.

Filipino Friends
$15.95
Originally picked up this book in the library. But my son loved it so much I ended up buying it. The color pictures are very vibrant and every picture on the page has the word in English and Tagalog. Definitely recommend!!

I Love my Filipino Wife Light T-Shirt
$22.00

Philippines Flag Embroidered Patch Filipino Pinoy Iron-On National Emblem
$3.99
This brand new embroidered patch depicts the flag of the Philippines. Heat-seal backing allows buyer to iron this patch onto virtually any fabric.